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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28118748">Beneath the Hero’s Mask</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amara_Merlin_XCVII/pseuds/Amara_Merlin_XCVII'>Amara_Merlin_XCVII</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 5, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action &amp; Romance, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Class 1-A Friendship (My Hero Academia), Eraserhead is to Joker what All-Might is to Deku, F/M, Fluff and Angst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:40:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>68,982</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28118748</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amara_Merlin_XCVII/pseuds/Amara_Merlin_XCVII</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After being apprehended by the authorities, the wanted vigilante Joker is given the option to turn to the good side. Put on probation and enrolled in U.A. High School, Joker tries to leave his past behind him and become a pro Hero with the help of his new friends.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead/Niijima Sae, Amamiya Ren/Yaoyorozu Momo, Midoriya Izuku/Uraraka Ochako, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Persona 5 Protagonist/Yaoyorozu Momo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>132</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>353</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nightfall was not considered a big deal in the city of Tokyo. In the ever-awake metropolis, paper lanterns and neon signs lit up at twilight to illuminate the evenings of carousing students and unwinding salarymen alike, fending off dusk with a barrier of light pollution. Nevertheless, as one moves away from the populated squares, past the residential neighbourhoods and the back alleys, the lights start to dissipate, leaving room for shadows to lurk freely. In the remote docks by the outskirts of the city laid a thick layer of darkness that obscured everything in the area, except for the reflection of the glowing full moon on an ivory-white domino mask.</p>
<p>Joker sat perched on the roof of a warehouse, examining the open loading bay beneath his feet. He was patiently awaiting the arrival of tonight’s expected guests.</p>
<p><em>“Why did it have to be the docks? It reeks of fish over here!” </em>He didn’t allow himself to dwell too much on the unfortunate stake-out location; he needed to focus on his current objective</p>
<p>According to the loose-lipped yakuza thug he interrogated two days ago, the local crime syndicate was expecting a shipment of human trafficking victims hailing form southeast Asia to arrive that day. Sadly, the snitch spared the specifics regarding the shipment’s estimated time of arrival. It seemed like the young vigilante still had a long wait ahead of him.</p>
<p>Joker decided to pass the time by admiring the view of the full moon against the starless night sky.  </p>
<p>
  <em>“How can anyone think those random spots look like a rabbit?”</em>
</p>
<p>He was pulled out of his thoughts by the incoming sound of a revving engine and splashing water. He activated his Third Eye ability to reveal what was concealed by the night, and saw a medium-sized boat approaching the harbour. The furtive vessel anchored by the dock closest to the warehouse, and from within two suited men emerged. Thanks to the heightened senses provided by the Third Eye, he was able to pick up their conversation.</p>
<p>“What’s next?” One of the men said.</p>
<p>“Bring the girls out and load them into the truck. The boss already has buyers lined-up for a couple of them. As for the others, I’m sure we can find some work to keep them occupied…” They both laughed as if that was the funniest joke in the world.</p>
<p>Joker suppressed his urge to gag. He had dealt with scum like this many times before, but seeing evil people taking advantage of the weak still made his blood boil every time.</p>
<p>One of the hooligans moved closer to the loading bay, where a small cargo truck was parked. Joker took the chance to pounce on him, taking the ruffian out instantly. The other yakuza reacted by pulling out his gun, but before he could fire it, Joker summoned his own pistol, Tyrant, and subsequently aimed and shot at his opponent’s gun to disarm him. He quickly followed by dashing up to the gangster to deliver a swift but powerful punch to his jaw, knocking him out cold.</p>
<p>“I can’t believe that with Heroes like All-Might around, there’s still rats like you thinking they can do as they please.” The vigilante said to his now unconscious adversaries, not caring whether they could hear him.</p>
<p><em>“Mmm… Didn't expect it to be so easy” </em>Joker thought.</p>
<p>“The fuck is going on out there?” Said a rough voice from the interior of the boat.</p>
<p>A defeated sigh escaped his lips. <em>“Always speaking too soon.”</em></p>
<p>Another man stepped outside the boat. He was 30 centimetres taller than Joker, at least twice his weight, and the tacky tattoos on his hairless head only made his appearance all the more menacing.</p>
<p>“Who the fuck are you? A Hero? You don’t look like any Hero I’ve ever heard of.” The newcomer said.</p>
<p>“I can’t help but being offended by the lack of recognition, I’ll make sure to give you something to remember me by.” Joker said while cracking his knuckles.</p>
<p>The bald man extended his hands and a strained expression took his face. He let out a grunt, and slowly, his fingernails started elongating into sharp bird-like talons. He adopted a fighting stance, proudly displaying his newly weaponised digits.                   </p>
<p>“That’s it?” Joker scoffed “Man, with a Quirk like that, I can see why you’d opt for a life of crime.”</p>
<p>“Fuck off.” The man curtly replied.</p>
<p>“Oh my, what a brilliant comeback! I sure hope your claws are not as sharp as your wit”. Joker lamented that his clever banter was going over the goon’s head. That is way he preferred fighting high-profile supervillains. They were definitely more mentally stimulating than lowly yakuza.</p>
<p>The brute’s right arm shot forward aiming for the place where Joker’s head was, but he rapidly dodged with a graceful backflip.</p>
<p>“Those are some cute claws you got there, but I must say, I’ve seen better. Here, let me show you…” The attacker was growing increasingly irritated by vigilante’s mockery. He lurched left hand first to retaliate.</p>
<p>Joker reached for his mask with a devilish grin.</p>
<p>“Arsène!”</p>
<p>The Pillager of Twilight heeded to the calling engulfed in azure fire. His obsidian claws intercepted the tattooed gorilla’s attack, who immediately attempted another frontal assault. Arsène kept blocking his slashing, trying to sneak a couple of his own in between, though they rarely connected; the burly criminal was a lot faster than one would expect. After another round of exchanging blows, Joker instructed Arsène to shove his opponent forward to create some distance.</p>
<p>“Time to finish this. Eiha!” He proclaimed.</p>
<p>Upon command, the demonic gentleman shot a pulse of dark energy that struck the taloned man, finally incapacitating him.</p>
<p>Joker took a moment to examine the scene. Three downed yakuza, no casualties. Perfect. It was now time to liberate the captive women.</p>
<p>Just before he could turn around, Arsène abruptly vanished with the same flash of blue flame he appeared with.</p>
<p>“What the fu—?!” His indignant confusion was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a gag in his mouth.</p>
<p>As he moved his hand to remove it, a secondary piece of cloth flew from out of nowhere to bind his whole arm. The source of the cloth yanked forcibly, pulling Joker face down to the ground.</p>
<p>Despite his disoriented state, Joker heard police sirens in the vicinity, as well as the sound of footsteps approaching. He looked up to find the imposing figure of a dark, long haired man hovering above him. The burning sensation of his penetrating glare could be felt even through his yellow goggles.</p>
<p>The man slowly took off his eyewear and spoke. “Mmm… Didn't expect it to be so easy.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>He counted the ceiling tiles 4 times before exasperation made his face plummet back against the table surface. It had been at least three hours since they hauled him from his cell and threw him inside a cold interrogation room. After his arrest, he had been taken to the jail at the police station, where he spent two weeks locked up awaiting trial. He was just beginning to get used to life behind bars when a couple of guards simply told him he had a ‘visitor’, before bringing him to where he now sat.</p>
<p>When Joker first decided to start a career as a vigilante, he knew it could only end up in one of two ways: Arrested, or six feet below the ground. Only he had hoped he’d meet his end after a valiant stand-off against the despotic authorities, not by being ambushed in the middle of the night.</p>
<p>He was finally saved from agonising boredom by the opening of the only door in the room. He recognised the man standing by the doorframe as the same man that apprehended him, though he was not wearing goggles this time, just a white scarf. Now Joker had the opportunity to closely peruse the brooding individual.</p>
<p>His face bore an enigmatic expression of immense fatigue. It was hard to tell whether he was tired of work, living in general, or just tired of everyone’s shit. Joker wondered what type of joke could make a man like that laugh, and then he wondered if such a man was even physically capable of laughter in the first place.</p>
<p>The man in question broke the silence. “Are you sure about this?”</p>
<p><em>“What?” </em>Joker thought, utterly confused by the question. <em>“Is he talking to me?”</em></p>
<p>“Don’t tell me you’re having doubts already, Eraserhead.” A high-pitched voice replied, exacerbating Joker’s confusion.</p>
<p>He looked around the room trying to ascertain the origin of the peculiar voice. Nothing on the corners, nothing behind him. He tilted his head to the side to look over the large table in the middle of the room. It was then that he spotted the new interlocutor, which did little to alleviate his puzzlement. Next to the man in the scarf stood a rodent-like creature. The mysterious mouse spoke again.</p>
<p>“Do you want me to go back?”</p>
<p>“No, never mind. Let’s get on with it.” The long haired man responded.</p>
<p>Both visitors finished entering the room and sat opposite Joker on the table. Before anyone could say a word, the boy in handcuffs was first to speak.</p>
<p>“What happened to the women on the boat?”</p>
<p>The man presumably called Eraserhead responded. “They’re fine, a bit freaked out, but fine. They’re upstairs now; the detective in charge of the case is waiting to take their statement. Most of them don’t speak a lick of Japanese, but a translator is already on their way. Don’t worry, we’ll get them home soon.”</p>
<p>Joker felt relief, but did not say anything. The man took his silence as permission to continue.</p>
<p>“And now, the reason we are gathered here today…”<br/><br/>He uncouthly dropped a folder on the table. He opened it to reveal a plethora of photographs, datasheets and handwritten reports. All detailing everything there was to know about Joker.</p>
<p>“Ren Amamiya, a.k.a. ‘Joker’. 16 years old. Wanted for multiple counts of vigilantism in the Tokyo prefecture. His activities began about two years ago. Starting out fighting petty crime, he eventually graduated to tackling organised crime, and even some supervillains. No matter the target, a calling card is always found at the scene. Not much is known about his Quirk, but witness reports confirm that his victims often display signs of burning, freezing, electric shock, or physical trauma. The press has given him the name ‘Joker’ after speculation of his Quirk being a type of ‘wildcard’ or ‘jack of all trades’ elemental power…” He spoke with a straightforward voice. “Quite the impressive record you have.”</p>
<p>“How did you find out my real name?” Joker, or more fittingly Ren, retorted defensively.</p>
<p>“We’ve had our eye on you for a while. Besides, it didn’t take a genius to figure it out. Sightings of the Joker started right after you were reported missing.”</p>
<p>“I’m surprised they noticed my absence at the orphanage.” The boy muttered to himself “If you’ve been following me then you knew what was happening tonight. And yet you still waited to intervene until after I was done with the dirty work. As expected from the police…” Ren spat with all the disdain he could muster.</p>
<p>“I’m not police, kid.”</p>
<p>“Then who the hell are you?”</p>
<p>“Right now, I’m the closest thing you have to a friend.” He said with an ironically unfriendly tone.</p>
<p>Ren was taken aback by the unexpected response. “What is that supposed to mean?”</p>
<p>The mouse-like man interjected. He seemed to have better interpersonal skills than his companion. “Hello, Mr. Amamiya. My name is Nezu. Let me ask you a question. Do you know what the penalty for vigilantism is?”</p>
<p>“Life in prison with possibility of parole after 30 years. In extreme cases, capital punishment.” Ren let out a small laugh as the severity of his current situation dawned on him. “Even if I’m a minor, I doubt they’ll show me any leniency. The prosecutor will probably want to make an example out of me.”</p>
<p>“That is correct. Under normal circumstances, that would be your immutable fate. However…” He took a small pause as if to collect his thoughts. “What if I told you there was an alternative?”</p>
<p>Ren did not react, his mind started to theorize what the proposed alternative could entail. Nezu carried on without waiting for an answer.</p>
<p>“If you wish, I’ll leave you to your own devices, you can try your own luck on trial. But you and I both know how that will play out. After that, you can enjoy the abundant amount of free time that comes with incarceration. Who knows? Maybe in  20 years you’ll get a reduced sentence for good behaviour. Either way, you won’t have to worry about me bothering you again. However, if you let me help you, I can show you a different path…” He leaned in and put on the most serious face an anthropomorphic rodent could.</p>
<p>“This is my offer. Should you choose to accept it, your sentence will be reduced to a 3-year probation period. In that time, you will attend U.A. High School in Musutafu under the supervision of my colleague here, Mr. Aizawa, as your homeroom teacher. During your probation, we’ll oversee your rehabilitation. You will learn how to be a Hero, and we’ll train and nurture your Quirk to better help and save people, all while abiding by the established Heroism laws. There will be no more vigilantism, no more rogue escapades, and no more lurking in the shadows. Of course, you will also be provided with suitable accommodation and a monthly stipend for expenses. We’ve cleared this deal with the prosecutor. If you complete the probation period without stepping out of line, your criminal record will be expunged and you will be allowed to become a fully licenced pro Hero.”</p>
<p>Ren’s immediate reaction was that the deal seemed way too good to be true. At one point in his childhood he did fantasize about studying to become a Hero, but that was many moons ago. Now, the idea of him being a student at U.A. was simply unfathomable! Their Hero course was one of the most prestigious in the world. The institution’s hallowed halls were the starting point of the likes of Best Jeanist, Endeavour, and even All-Might. Joker thought himself awfully out of place in that line-up. This offer was surely some type of bait. “Alright, what’s the catch?”</p>
<p>Nezu shook his head. “There is no catch. We simply wish to help you.”</p>
<p>Ren scoffed. “Right, <em>now</em> the Heroes want to help me. Where were you two years ago? I’d rather go to prison than work alongside people like you.”</p>
<p>Eraserhead interrupted, a strange combination of frustration and disappointment tainted his words. “Is that really what you want to do with your life? Rot away in prison because you don’t get to do things your way? Think about the reason you started doing this in the first place. Is your ego more important than those in need of help?”</p>
<p>Those words cut ren deeply. He remembered the first time he found himself in need, the desperate calls for help, and the ensuing disillusionment with Heroes after no one responded to his call. He swore that as long as he lived, he would never allow anyone to feel the despair he felt back then. He never cared about the status, the wealth, or the notoriety that came with being a Hero. He only wanted to help. Speak for the voiceless and fight for those who can’t fight for themselves. Giving up now wouldn’t be fair for them, it would betray every one of his core principles. If he had the opportunity to keep fighting, he had to take it no matter what. Besides… the thought of having an actual bed was almost tantalising. It was now clear to Ren what he needed to do. He was going to become the Hero he needed all that time ago.</p>
<p>“I… I’m sorry” The boy spoke with sincere regret. “I’ll do it. I’ll take your offer. Please let me become a Hero. I need to keep helping!”</p>
<p>“Marvelous! I knew you’d choose wisely Mr. Amamyia. You don’t have to worry about the entrance exam, you’ll count with the recommendation of none other than yours truly, a.k.a. the principal himself! Based on your exploits as Joker, I can say for certain that you are U.A. material. The school year starts in two weeks, but we’ll get you to your new lodgings ahead of time so you can get settled.” The sentient mouse said with a genuinely cheerful tone. “Now, I’ll go fetch the keys to undo those handcuffs.”</p>
<p>“Oh, these? Don’t worry, I got it.” With a quick motion, Ren pull his hands together before immediately pulling them apart. As if by magic, the handcuffs detached from his wrists.</p>
<p>The principal nodded in approval. “Impressive. I wouldn’t have expected anything less from the infamous Joker.”</p>
<p>Ren was overjoyed, it felt good to have found a new purpose. He did not want to look a gift horse in the mouth, still he needed to ask the question that would not leave his mind.</p>
<p>“Excuse me, sir. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but… why did you decide to give me this chance?”</p>
<p>Nezu gave him a warm smile. “You can thank Mr. Aizawa for that. He’s the one that interceded on your name at the prosecutor’s office. He said it wouldn’t’ be fair for the story of someone with your past and your potential to end like this. You still have a bright future ahead, you just need a bit of guidance.”</p>
<p>Ren felt a wave of gratitude, immediately followed by guilt. He had judged Aizawa harshly based on his own prejudice. And still, he still wanted to help him, even if he was an unrepentant criminal. He only saw a kid who needed help. He realised that perhaps they were actually more alike than he originally thought.</p>
<p>Eraserhead’s expression did not change at the principal’s words, but he slightly averted his eyes away from the boy in front of him.</p>
<p>“I see…” Ren bowed profoundly. “Thank you for this opportunity, sir! I promise I won’t make you regret it.”</p>
<p>“Calm down, kid. Save that enthusiasm for the classroom.” Aizawa and Nezu stood up and made a beeline for the exit. Ren quickly followed suit.</p>
<p>“Alright! Let’s get going then.” The newly-reformed vigilante said.</p>
<p>Eraserhead held up his hand. “Not so fast, kid. You’ll spend the night in the holding cell. Use this time to think about all you’ve done. I’ll pick you up tomorrow to take you to your new place.”</p>
<p>Ren simply shrugged “Yeah, fair enough.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A while ago, my friends and I were discussing how various characters would rank in the universe of MHA. I'm convinced that Joker would rank at least top 5 at U.A. High School. After that, I started conceiving the idea for this story. It eventually got stuck in my head, so I just had to let it out and started writing.</p>
<p>I can totally see Joker and Eraserhead getting along, as they are both edgy bois.  </p>
<p>Hope you all enjoy it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“… thirty four, thirty five, thirty six …”</p><p>*Knock Knock*</p><p>Izuku put down the dumbbells to open the door. His mother, Inko was waiting on the other side.</p><p>“Hi, Izuku. I was just going to go do some shopping and I was wondering if you would like to come along.” The woman asked.</p><p>“Umm, sorry mom. I have finish today’s training.”</p><p>“Come on, honey. You’ve already passed U.A.’s entrance exam. Besides, you’ve been training so hard lately, you could use a little break; this is your last weekend before school starts. If you come, we can stop by LeBlanc on the way back!” She tried to convince him.</p><p>He detected a small hint of melancholy in his mother’s voice, a pinch of guilt struck him. Ever since he first met All-Might almost a year ago, he had lost himself in training to pass U.A.’s entrance exam and become the next carrier of One For All. His mother had been nothing but supportive of his dream to become a Hero. She encouraged and cared for him throughout everything, and he had repaid her by being more distant than ever. He needed to show her how much he appreciated all she did for him.</p><p>“You’re right, It’ll be fun! It’s been a while since we last did something together. Let me get changed first.”</p><p>After getting ready, the Midoriyas ventured into town together for a mother-son day. They went past the market to buy groceries, and stopped by the stationery store to get any last minute school materials. Inko even insisted on going to the mall to buy her son a new back-to-school pair of shoes. Much to Izuku’s dismay, his mother asked him if he had already outgrown his All-Might themed underwear just loud enough for everyone in the clothing store to hear. His embarrassment was washed away by the comfort of having such a caring and loving mother. He was happy he decided to set the day apart to spend it with her.</p><p>Eventually, they headed to their final destination for the day, café LeBlanc. LeBlanc was a small and quaint establishment located just a couple blocks away from their apartment. The business’ foot traffic was scarce bar a couple regulars, but the warm atmosphere and inebriating coffee aroma made anyone eager to come back. Thanks to its mouth-watering curry and masterfully brewed coffee, the coffeeshop quickly became the Midoriyas’ eatery of choice whenever the older of the two didn’t feel like cooking. When they finally entered the café, they were welcomed by the usual jingle of the bell above the door and the warm greeting of a familiar voice.</p><p>The place was empty, with the exception of the man behind the bar, who just so happened to also be the shop’s proprietor, Sojiro Sakura. He was a middle aged man with slicked-back dark hair, glasses, and a characteristic goatee. The sternness in his demeanour was softened by his charm and excellent customer service. His better years were long behind him, but the youthful spirit never left him. After many years of frequenting LeBlanc, the barista had become a close friend to both Inko and Izuku.</p><p>“Hello there. Oh, I’m sorry miss, I think you got the wrong address. The modelling agency is down the street.” The bearded man said with a sly grin.</p><p>“Oh, Sojiro. You old devil. I’d be charmed if you didn’t say that to every woman that walks in here.” Retorted Inko, amused by his attempt at flattery.</p><p>“What can I say? I need to keep my customers happy.”</p><p>“Well, I’m perfectly happy with two orders of your famous coffee and curry.”</p><p>“You got it.” Sojiro turned around and shouted behind him. ”Hey, kid. Get the siphon going!”.</p><p>From the corner of the kitchen appeared a bespectacled boy with frizzy, black hair and a green apron.“ Right away, boss.”</p><p>“Oh my, Soji. Who is this handsome young man? Could it be that you finally caved and decided to hire a part-timer?”</p><p>“Well, I’m not getting any younger. And an extra pair of hands certainly eased the workload on my shoulders. All the stress was making my beautiful hair grey.”</p><p>The woman turned to the young man. “Hi, nice to meet you! I’m Inko Midoriya, and this is my son, Izuku.” she said while bowing politely. Her son imitated the gesture.</p><p>‘”Nice to meet you too. My name is Ren Amamiya.” The black haired boy reciprocated. “I’ll get your order ready in a minute.”</p><p>After the quick introduction, Ren returned to the kitchen and the patrons took a sit in one the booths. Sojiro took off his apron and headed towards the door.</p><p>“Kid, Mind the shop while I take a smoke break. Inko, care to you join me outside so I can fill you in on the latest neighbourhood gossip?” He asked.</p><p>“Ooh, don’t mind if I do. Be right back, honey.” She said while following the man outside the café.</p><p>While his mother was catching up with Sojiro, Izuku took the opportunity to work on the latest entry of his <em>Hero Analysis for the Future. </em>He took out a pen and notebook form his bag and diligently started to write. When Ren came to the table to deposit a fresh order of curry and coffee, he couldn’t help but look over the boy’s shoulder to take a peek at the notebook.</p><p>“Cool drawing. Is that Kamui Woods?” The rookie-barista asked.</p><p>“Oh this? I’m just writing some notes about him. His powers, his fighting style and stuff…”</p><p>“It’s really good.”</p><p>“Umm… thanks.” Izuku felt slightly embarrassed by the compliment.</p><p>“So you’re into Heroes?”</p><p>“Yeah, a bit.” Ren was blissfully ignorant of the flagrant understatement.</p><p>“I’m not surprised, honestly. There’s a lot of cool Heroes in Musutafu, and they’re always patrolling around the city. Back in Tokyo, Heroes don’t seem as connected with the community.”</p><p>“You’re from Tokyo?”</p><p>“Originally, yeah. I just moved here last week.”</p><p>“That’s quite the change of scenery. How did you end up working for Mr. Sakura?”</p><p>Ren stopped for a moment to choose his words carefully. Izuku seemed like a good guy, but he didn’t need to know every detail about the circumstances that led him to be living in LeBlanc. “The boss is… a family friend. In exchange of helping him around the café, he’s letting me stay here while I attend high school in town.</p><p>“Oh, you’re a high school student? What year? I’m about to start my first year myself.”</p><p>“I’m also going to be a first year. I’ll be attending the Hero course at U.A. High School”</p><p>“For real?! Me too!” The younger boy was immediately exalted. He started bombarding his future classmate with questions. “You want to become a pro hero too? Oh, Man. I’m so excited! aren’t you excited? I mean U.A. is by far the best Hero school in the country! Their standards are so high. That entrance exam was super hard, wasn’t it?”</p><p>“I wouldn’t know. I didn’t do it.” He responded instinctively.</p><p>“What?! You got in without doing the entrance exam?”</p><p>Joker realised that was the wrong thing to say. He couldn’t back-pedal now, so he treaded carefully.</p><p>“I actually got in though a recommendation.”</p><p>“No way! You must have had some amazing results in middle school. In that case you did the special recommendation entrance exam instead, right? How was it?”</p><p><em>“There’s a special entrance exam. Man, what a chore. I’m so lucky I got to skip all that.”</em> He took the chance to correct his previous mistake “Yeah… it was definitely hard.”</p><p>“Still though, for you to get in the Hero course on recommendation, your Quirk must be seriously impressive! May I ask what it is?”</p><p>“Uh, it’s kind of hard to explain. I can summon… er… entities, to fight for me in battle. You’ll understand better once you see it in person. I’ll show it to you at school.” Izuku seemed satisfied with that. “What about you? what’s your Quirk?”</p><p>The green haired boy became visibly nervous “M-my Quirk? Umm, it’s… I-it’s … I guess you could say I have a Power-type Quirk.”</p><p>“You mean like super strength? I wouldn’t have expected that.”</p><p>“Yeah, me neither.”</p><p>His response arose a hint of suspicion in Ren’s mind, but he decided not to pry and risk alienating his conversation partner; he was rather enjoying the boy’s company, and he found himself wanting to get to know him better. A fleeting thought occurred to him.   </p><p>“By the way, I’m not too acquainted with the city yet. Would you mind meeting Monday morning and walk to school together?” He asked.</p><p>“Sure thing! It’ll be nice having a friend already on the first day of class.” Izuku replied with enthusiasm.</p><p>Ren felt a warm feeling in his chest, he was glad he wasn’t the only one that perceived a budding friendship within the brief chat. Even though they had just met, he already felt certain kinship with Izuku Midoriya. Indeed, it was nice not having to face this new daunting challenge alone. He definitely could use an ally in the city. For years it was only Joker and his personas against the world, but now he came to realise that things could be done differently. For the first time ever, Ren was looking forward to going back to school.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Posted two chapters in a row to kickstart this fic. After this, I'll try to add new chapters periodically. </p><p>Anyone else absolutely loves Mama Midoriya? She's so great! Favourite anime mom meets coffee dad.</p><p>Next chapter will cover the first day of school, that's where the real fun begins. Till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>“Ugh, I’m never gonna get used to this...”</em> Ren thought as he adjusted his tie for the umpteenth time.</p>
<p>He dreaded having to wear a school uniform again. The blazer and slacks combination wasn’t that bad, but he found the piece of cloth circumventing his neck to be suffocating. He briefly considered taking a gamble on the strictness of the U.A.’s dress code and take the darn thing off, but his desire to make a good first impression was stronger than his discomfort, thus his textile leash remained in place.</p>
<p>The dark-haired boy was waiting for his newest friend on the intersection that connected the streets of LeBlanc and Izuku’s apartment. The clock struck 07:30 in the morning, their agreed upon meeting time. He looked around and saw a green shade approaching quickly from the side. Izuku ran up to Ren.  </p>
<p>“Sorry for being late!. I got held up by my mom. She can be a bit overbearing at times…”. He said between pants.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, you’re just in time.” Ren said to ease his concern. “Here, I got you something.”</p>
<p>He handed him one of his two disposable cups of coffee.</p>
<p>“Thanks.” Izuku gladly took the cup and sipped. “Yech! Tastes burnt. Guess Mr. Sakura must be having an off day.”</p>
<p>“I actually made it myself. Boss has been teaching me how to make coffee, but I guess I still have a lot to learn.”</p>
<p>Izuku started coughing into his cup. “Oh. I-I’m so sorry, Amamiya! What I meant to say was—”</p>
<p>Ren waved his hand dismissively. “It’s fine. It is indeed burnt. I’m sorry, hopefully the next one will be better. And please, call me Ren. Shall we get going?”</p>
<p>“Right, Ren. The train station is this way, follow me!”</p>
<p>The two freshmen went on their way to their first day of high school. During their short walk and train ride to school, the boys took the chance to get to know each other a little better.</p>
<p>Once Izuku felt more comfortable in Ren’s company, he let a bit of his inner Hero fanboy show. He shared with him his ambition of becoming a pro Hero, his fervent admiration for All-Might, and even his <em>Hero Analysis for the Future</em>. Izuku would normally be way too embarrassed to ever consider sharing all of this with anyone, but there was something about Ren that made him feel as if he could share anything with him. He was an exceptionally good auditor. He listened to his rambling with unironic interest and no judgement whatsoever. Ren actually found it quite endearing to see the burning passion in the boy’s eyes when he talked about his interests.</p>
<p>When they eventually arrived at the school entrance, Izuku was still going on about the prestige and legacy of U.A. High School.</p>
<p>“…and the acceptance rate is 1 in 300. Can you believe we actually made it?! Only 40 students got in the Hero course this year, they’re split into two classes of 20 each.” He said. “What class are you in, by the way?”</p>
<p>“Umm… 1-A, I think.” Ren replied.</p>
<p>“Really?! Me too! That’s kind of a relief. I’m finally going to have a friend in class.”</p>
<p>They kept on walking through the hallways. Ren took the time to admire the view from the towering floor-to-ceiling windows. It was hard for him not to feel out place there. This was a place for the ultimate talent all the country had to offer. The elite of the elite. The students inside these classrooms were supposed to be the paramount exemplars of the just values and ideals that make a Hero. How would they feel if they knew a convicted vigilante walked amongst them? Ren shook that thought away. His record was confidential; no one at school except for the teachers knew about his past. This was a fresh start. This was the first day of his new life. The death of Joker, the outlaw, and the birth of Joker, the Hero.</p>
<p>They stopped in front of their classroom. Ren turned to his companion who was getting fidgety.</p>
<p>“Nervous?” He asked.</p>
<p>“A bit. I’m just wondering what our classmates are gonna be like.” The green-haired boy replied.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, how bad can it be?” Ren said as he opened the door.</p>
<p>“Get your feet off that desk!”</p>
<p>“Get the stick out of your ass!”</p>
<p>They were immediately greeted by the sight of a tall, studious-looking boy arguing with a rough-looking blond boy.</p>
<p>“<em>Well, that’s a nice start…”</em> He thought.</p>
<p>The boys ceased their argument to look at the new arrivals by the door. The tall one strode towards Ren and Izuku.</p>
<p>“Good morning! My name is Tenya Ida from the Soumei Private Academy. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He greeted politely and effusively.</p>
<p>“Ren Amamiya.”</p>
<p>“Hi, I’m Izuku Midoriya. It’s nice to meet you.”</p>
<p>“Midoriya…” He said with an indecipherable look. “You somehow realised there was more to the entrance exam than met the eye. Your perception skills must be incomparable. You greatly surpassed me and my expectations. I apologize for underestimating you!”</p>
<p>Izuku became flustered “Oh, W-well, I…”</p>
<p>Ren arched an eyebrow in confusion. Izuku never actually told him what went down in the entrance exam. He was going to have to ask him later.</p>
<p>“Hey, I remember that messed up hair! You’re the falling boy.” An unfamiliar voice called from behind them.</p>
<p>There stood a short, cheerful girl with shoulder-length auburn hair. Ren had never seen her before, but Izuku seemed to recognise her.</p>
<p>“Oh, H-hi! I guess I should thank you for everything…” The boy stumbled on his words.</p>
<p>While Izuku choked trying to talk to the girl, Ren noticed the blond boy from before glaring at the green-haired boy with a scowl.</p>
<p>“Hey, Izuku. Do you know that blonde boy over there?” Ren asked.</p>
<p>“Who? Oh, yeah. His name is Katsuki Bakugo. We went to middle school together.” He replied.</p>
<p>“You two have some sort of history? He doesn’t seem to like you very much.”</p>
<p>“Umm… It’s complicated. I’ve actually known him since we were both four. We used to be really good friends, but we kinda drifted apart with age.”</p>
<p>The bubbly girl talked again. She seemed to be as enthusiastic as Izuku about the school.</p>
<p>“What do you think we’re doing today besides orientation? Oh, I bet the cafeteria food is awesome! And I’m so curious about our teachers. I can’t wait to meet everybody!”</p>
<p>“If you’re only here to make friends, you might as well pack up and leave now.” A new voice said.</p>
<p>Out of nowhere appeared a man tucked inside a sleeping bag. Ren recognised him as Eraserhead, but the other students were perturbed by the sudden apparition.</p>
<p>“It took 8 seconds before you all shut up. That’s not gonna work; time is precious. Better students would understand that.” The man said as he slid out of the sleeping bag. “Welcome to U.A.’s hero course. My name Is Shota Aizawa, I’ll be your homeroom teacher.”</p>
<p>Everyone in the class, with the exception of Ren, shook with bewilderment at the eccentric man who was to be their homeroom teacher for the year.</p>
<p>“All right, let’s get to it. Change into your gym uniforms and meet me outside.” Mr. Aizawa ordered.</p>
<p>“But what about orientation?” The brown-haired girl asked.</p>
<p>“There’s no time for pointless ceremonies. We have different plans today…”</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The Quirk assessment test was held on the field adjacent to the school. After all the students were done changing, Mr. Aizawa addressed the class to clarify the purpose of the test. Throughout their lives, the kids were prohibited from using their quirk in public. Now, they had to use their Quirk to complete a series of physical tasks to ascertain the full potential of their power.</p>
<p>Everyone was excited at the opportunity to show off their Quirks, but their anticipation was curbed when the homeroom teacher spoke the last of his introduction.</p>
<p>“…the point of these tests is to gauge your potential. Whoever comes in last has none, and will therefore be expelled, effective immediately.”</p>
<p>The whole class gasped in unison. He couldn’t be serious, could he? Expelled on their first day?! The jolly auburn-haired girl started protesting the perceived injustice when the teacher immediately shot her down.</p>
<p>“The world isn’t fair. You think a villain will care about fairness? It is your job as Heroes to fight unfairness and go further beyond, no matter the stakes. Prove to me that you are Hero material. Prove that you deserve to be here.”</p>
<p>Mr. Aizawa’s words inspired determination in his students, eliminating any qualms about the test. They were now resolute to prove their worth.</p>
<p>The first test was a 50-meter dash. One by one, the Heroes in training approached the designated running track. Ida, who apparently had motorised legs, finished the sprint in merely 3.04 seconds. Bakugo boosted himself with explosions generated by his own hands, achieving a time of 4.13 seconds.</p>
<p>Ren looked at the display with astonishment. The competition was fierce from the get-go; no one appeared to be holding back. This threw a wrench in his plans. He originally intended to lay low and not stand out too much. The less attention he brought to himself, the smoother his probation would go. However, getting expelled would most definitely violate his probation. He couldn’t risk it. It seemed like he had no other choice, he had to go all out.</p>
<p>With newfound resolve, he walked up to the starting line and assumed the crouching position typical of a track runner. He took a deep breath and loudly proclaimed.</p>
<p>“Zorro!”</p>
<p>From a cloud of blue flames appeared a barrel-chested swordsman, wearing a black mask and cape. His magnificent mustacho was of evocative of devil horns. Everyone stared in awe at the figure floating next to Ren.</p>
<p> </p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>“Whoa!”</p>
  <p>“What the hell is that?”</p>
  <p>“I that his Quirk?”</p>
</blockquote><p> </p>
<p>He ignored the reactions of his classmates and took off in a sprint. Then, the persona fluttered his rapier to invoke a blast of wind that propelled the boy forward at massive speed.</p>
<p>The timer stopped when he crossed the finish line. <em>“4.40 seconds, not bad. Gotta keep it going.” </em>He thought.</p>
<p>He walked back to the group while the next participant headed to the starting line. She was a tall girl with long black hair, neatly tied in a ponytail except for a loose strand framing the right side of her face. She bore a serious expression and an aura of unassuming confidence. Ren felt oddly curious about how the alluring girl would fare in the test</p>
<p>Once she was in place, the girl unzipped the top of her gym uniform, exposing her bare midriff and sports bra. The move drew the eyes of all the boys in attendance, but she remained unphased. Suddenly, a colorful glow covered her stomach, she reached to it with both hands, and from within she slowly pulled out a fully operational moped. In a swift motion, she mounted the two-wheeled vehicle and speeded through the 50 meters in the blink of an eye.</p>
<p>Ren was surprised, that was definitely not what he expected. This class certainly had a lot of talented people with great potential. He could see couple of them ending up at the top of the pro Hero rankings in the future. Ida and Bakugo were doing especially well on the test. A quiet boy with white and red parted hair also seemed to be acing the physical tasks. Nevertheless, Ren was particularly eager to see what else the ponytailed girl could do.</p>
<p>The next task consisted in a test of grip-strength. The students were to grasp an electronic device that would measure the amount of force applied to it. The first participant, a well-built guy with a webbed sextuple set of arms, immediately raised the bar by scoring a stunning 540 kg of force.</p>
<p>Ren frowned. He was confident in his own strength in battle, but he was going to need something more if he was to excel in this test. He looked around him, trying to find a clue, an idea that could give him a little push.</p>
<p>His eyes came across the same dark-haired girl that upstaged the class during the 50-meter dash. She seemed to be conjuring another item from her skin. She conjured a C-clamp, and proceeded to fasten it over the measuring device. Then, she started tightening it until the lever couldn’t turn anymore, maxing out the force gauge.</p>
<p><em>“She’s certainly full of tricks, isn’t she?”</em> He thought.</p>
<p>Seeing the girl’s out-of-the-box approach to the trials sparked some creativity of his own.           </p>
<p>He turned to Mr. Aizawa to seek confirmation. “So… we don’t actually have to do these tasks ourselves, right? We just need see they get done using our Quirks.”</p>
<p>“This isn’t called a <em>Quirk</em> assessment for nothing, kid.” The teacher responded.</p>
<p>A grin appeared on his face.</p>
<p>“Hecatoncheires!”</p>
<p>Ren called upon the mythological giant. The summoning called the attention of everyone in the room again.</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p> </p>
  <p>“He’s got another one?”</p>
  <p>“What the…?”</p>
  <p>“This one’s kinda gross.”</p>
  <p> </p>
</blockquote><p>He held up the device in his hand. The persona reached out his own to take it, and then firmly gripped it with inhuman strength.  </p>
<p>“999 kg. That’s as far as the display on the device goes.” Mr. Aizawa noted as he registered the score. The boy pumped his fist triumphantly while soft murmurs of amazement floated in the air.</p>
<p>Ren completed the next couple of tests using his personas in any way that could give him an edge. However, he noticed that Izuku had yet to use his own Quirk and was falling behind everyone else. He hoped that the green-haired boy had some sort of ace up his sleeve or his first day at U.A. might be his last. He needed to find a way to help his friend, fast.</p>
<p>“Amamiya! You’re up.” The voice of the homeroom teacher called.</p>
<p>It was time for the next test, the ball throw. Unlike his peers in primary school, Ren was never too interested in baseball, so he decided to let one of his personas take care of it again. He held the ball firmly and yelled out the name.</p>
<p>“Captain Kidd!”</p>
<p>A massive skeleton materialized behind him, it rode a floating pirate ship and had a cannon where his right arm should be.</p>
<p>Ren bounced the in his hand a couple of times before throwing it high above him. The legendary privateer caught the ball in his cannon hand and straightened his arm ahead. Whit a thundering sound, the ball was expelled from the cannon’s barrel at exorbitant speed, eventually getting lost in the horizon.  </p>
<p>“1370 meters” His teacher read from the ball tracker.    </p>
<p>Captain Kidd vanished in a blue-coloured blaze, and his wielder returned to the group of students.</p>
<p>“That was amazing, Ren!” Izuku welcomed him.</p>
<p>He smiled humbly. “Thanks, but what about you? You still haven’t used your quirk.”</p>
<p>“Uh, well I…” He trailed off.</p>
<p>“Don’t wanna overshadow everyone else, huh?” Ren said playfully. “Don’t overthink it, man. Just give it your best!”</p>
<p>Izuku nodded, he walked to the pitcher’s mound and took a ball in his hand. He took a deep breath. If there was ever a moment to use his Quirk, this was it. Now or never.</p>
<p>He winded his arm and waited a moment before throwing the ball with all his might! … only for it to fall spectacularly right before his eyes.</p>
<p>Izuku couldn’t believe what just had happened. “What?! I tried to use my Quirk but—”</p>
<p>“I erased your Quirk.”</p>
<p>“You erased my…?” The boy asked in confusion. “Wait a second… I know you! You can cancel someone’s Quirk just by looking at them. You’re the Erasure Hero, Eraserhead.”</p>
<p>The students muttered amongst themselves. Apparently, the pro Hero had quite the reputation.</p>
<p>The teacher scoffed at his student. “You’re not ready. You don’t have control over your power yet. What was your plan, throw a reckless punch again and hope someone would come save you? Is that how you intend to fight villains? Throw a single punch and knock yourself out? At this point, you are nothing but a liability. You are worthless if you can’t do anything by yourself. I’m sorry, Midoriya. Someone like you could never become a hero.”</p>
<p>Izuku said nothing, instead he simply dropped his head. His eyes began watering.</p>
<p>Eraserhead turned his back to him. “I returned your impractical Quirk. Take your final throw if you want, it won’t make a difference.”</p>
<p>A heavy silence filled the air with tension so palpable to the point of being smothering. The rest of the class was rendered speechless by the harsh words of their homeroom teacher. After a few seemingly eternal seconds, Ren’s voice broke the silence.</p>
<p>“So what?”</p>
<p>Everyone’s eyes darted towards him.</p>
<p>“Did you say something?” Mr. Aizawa asked.</p>
<p>“So what if he can’t do something by himself?” He reiterated as he took a step forward. “We’ve all been in need of help at one point, haven’t we? We’re all here thanks to the people that supported us in one way or another. Isn’t that right, <em>Eraserhead</em>?” He stressed the last part. “I’m sure you didn’t make that scarf yourself. You don’t strike me as the knitting type. It’s ok to rely on people sometimes, what matters is that we learn and grow from our experiences. Isn’t that why we’re here, to learn? He might not have full control over his quirk yet, but he is the most driven, hard-working, and knowledgeable guy I know. He passed the entrance exam, he deserves to be here just as much as any of us. Give him a chance and he might surprise you.” Ren’s look softened as he look right into his teacher’s eyes. “Sometimes people just need someone to believe in them.”</p>
<p>Eraserhead looked intensely at Ren, but didn’t react. Ren disregarded his teacher, cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted.</p>
<p>“Come on, Izuku. You can do it!” He tried to encourage him. “I know you can!”</p>
<p>Izuku was stunned, still processing his friend’s speech.</p>
<p>“Yeah! Give it your best!” The brown-haired girl joined in. “Throw that ball out of the park!”</p>
<p>Slowly, the rest of the class, save a few students, joined as well, shouting and chanting in support, cheering him on.</p>
<p>Izuku smiled and wiped a tear. His eyes were now burning with the motivation to not let down everyone that believed in him. He winded his arm once more and winged as hard as he could. At the last second, he channeled all of his power on the tip of his index finger to push the ball, hurling it in the air with great force.</p>
<p>Cheers of celebration congratulated Izuku’s throw. Everyone was happy at the boy’s success. Well… almost everyone.</p>
<p>Bakugo was angrier than usual. He dashed towards Izuku with his right arm cocked and fuming.</p>
<p>“Deku, you bastard! How did you do that?! Have you been lying to me this whole time?!”</p>
<p>Before he could reach Izuku, Ren bolted and put himself between the two of them.</p>
<p>“What the hell are you doing?!” Bakugo asked.</p>
<p>“I could ask you the same thing.” The bespectacled boy responded calmly.</p>
<p>“Get out of my way! I need to—”</p>
<p>“You need to step down.” Mr. Aizawa said menacingly. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t make me use my Quirk. Stop wasting my time. Whoever’s next can step up.”</p>
<p>Izuku approached his defender. “Thank you Ren, I— Ouch!” He held his hand in pain. The sheer explosion of power had left his finger badly hurt.</p>
<p>Ren took his hand. “Let me take a look at it…”</p>
<p>The finger was bruised and swollen, a fracture was highly likely. He extended his hands and held them close to Izuku’s finger.</p>
<p>
  <em>“What the hell? He got hurt by his own Quirk?” He thought.</em>
</p>
<p>“Cybele!”. Ren said to summon the deity of fertility and nature.</p>
<p>A persona stole the spotlight once more, though this time for a different reason. Some looked away in embarrassment, a boy with purple balls in his head whispered the word “Nice…” at the sight of the naked goddess.</p>
<p>Ren closed his eyes and focused, a green light engulfed his hands. Suddenly, the inflammation and lacerations on Izuku’s finger faded away as if they were never there. His patient flexed his finger a couple times. He had regained full mobility, no track of any pain whatsoever.</p>
<p>“How did you do that?!” Izuku asked, mouth wide open.</p>
<p>“I’m a man of many talents.” Ren said with a wink.</p>
<p>The commotion settled and the class carried on with the remaining tests. They went generally smoothly, but Ren’s performance decreased noticeably. Using his Quirk to heal Izuku took a lot of energy out of him, but it was all worth it to help his friend. Although he was thankful that it was only his finger, he might not have had enough stamina left to heal a greater injury. Finally, Mr. Aizawa shared the ranking based on everyone’s scores.</p>
<p>1<sup>st</sup> - Momo Yaoyorozu</p>
<p>2<sup>nd</sup> - Ren Amamiya</p>
<p>3<sup>rd</sup> - Shoto Todoroki</p>
<p>4<sup>th</sup> - Katsuki Bakugo</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>19<sup>th</sup> - Izuku Midoriya</p>
<p>20<sup>th</sup> - Minoru Mineta</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ren sighed with relief. It was close, but Izuku managed to narrowly avoid expulsion. He felt a little bad for thinking this, but being completely honest, if someone had to be expelled, he was glad it was that Mineta guy. Ren was getting some major creepy vibes from the purple pipsqueak.</p>
<p>“By the way, I was lying. No one’s getting expelled. Just wanted to give you a little push to put all your effort into the test.” Mr. Aizawa said.</p>
<p>“WHAT?!” All the students cried simultaneously.</p>
<p>Ren laughed. Apparently all the worrying was for nothing, but in the end he was simply relieved that the stressfull trial was finally over.</p>
<p>Mr. Aizawa turned away from the class. “We’re done for today. As homework, read through the syllabus before tomorrow. Class dismissed.”</p>
<p>The teacher walked up to Izuku and handed him a paper slip. “Midoriya, take this and go have the nurse check that finger. I don’t doubt Amamiya’s powers, but better safe than sorry.” He continued walking away before briefly stopping by Ren. “Didn’t know you could heal too. Guess you really are a ‘wildcard’.”</p>
<p>The enigmatic teacher disappeared through the exit. Behind him, class 1-A started filing out, finally heading home after an exhausting first day.</p>
<p>Before leaving, Ren walked up to the girl that took the first place in the test over him.</p>
<p>“Yaoyorozu, right? Just wanted to say well played. That was a close-run test, but you beat me fair and square in the end. I must say, your Quirk is very impressive.” He said.</p>
<p>“Every Quirk can be impressive if you use it right.” There was no fake modesty in her voice. She was merely stating a fact.</p>
<p>From up close he could appreciate just how tall she was. Ren was considerably taller than most boys his age, yet she was only a couple centimeters shorter than him.</p>
<p>“That was quite the speech, by the way.” She said.</p>
<p>“Oh.” Ren blushed lightly at the memory of his outburst. “It was nothing. I was just standing up for my friend.”</p>
<p>She tilted her head slightly. “Friend, huh? You did call him by his first name. Did you and Midoriya go to middle school together?”</p>
<p>Ren rubbed the back of his neck. “Umm… no. I actually just met him three days ago.”</p>
<p>“Really? Interesting…”</p>
<p>He felt a bit silly. From an outsider’s perspective, it definitely seemed ridiculous to get so close to someone in such a short time. Had he precipitated into their friendship? He hoped Izuku didn’t feel the same.</p>
<p>“Yeah…” He laughed it off awkwardly. “Anyway, it was a pleasure to meet you. I’m gonna go check how Izuku’s doing. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“The pleasure is mine, Amamiya. See you tomorrow.”</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Ren decided to wait for Izuku by the school gate. When he arrived, he saw Ida standing by a pillar. He had a pensive look and a hand on his chin.</p>
<p>“Hey, Ida. Waiting for someone?”</p>
<p>“Ah, Amamiya. I was actually hoping I could talk to you for a bit.” The blue-haired boy said.</p>
<p>“Me?” Ren asked.</p>
<p>“Yes, you. Your performance on the quirk assessment test was remarkable. I am quite curious about those bizarre creatures you summoned, that is a most unusual Quirk. If I may ask, how exactly does it work?”</p>
<p>Ren pondered his response for a second. “Well, I call them ‘<em>personas’</em>. I’m not exactly sure where they come from, but If I call their name, they come to my aid in battle. Each one has their own unique abilities.”</p>
<p>“Ah, I see. So you give them commands and they obey your bidding, is that it?” Ida asked.</p>
<p>“What? No, they’re not Pokémon! It’s more like they are a part of myself; an extension of my body. I can control them in the same way I can control my own arms or legs. I can only use one persona at the time, however.” He explained.</p>
<p>“Fascinating, what an intriguing Quirk. It does seem to have incredibly versatile applications.”</p>
<p>While they were talking, a familiar head of shaggy green hair exited through the school doors.</p>
<p>“Izuku, there you are!  How are you doing?” Ren asked.</p>
<p>“I’m totally fine. Recovery Girl took an x-ray of my hand to make sure nothing was amiss. No fractures or bruises. Your Quirk is really amazing, Ren!”</p>
<p>“Please, you’re gonna make me blush. ” The black-haired boy said sarcastically.</p>
<p>“I concur with Midoriya. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a multifaceted Quirk. With the right training, you could certainly become a powerful Hero, Amamiya” Ida added.</p>
<p>Ren took the compliment in silence. He was not used to so much adulation. The trio started walking away from the school when they heard a voice behind them.</p>
<p>“Hey! Wait up, guys! Are you heading to the station? Let’s walk together!”</p>
<p>The trio turned around to find their friendly, brown-haired classmate.</p>
<p>“Oh, you’re the gravity girl, aren’t you?” Ren asked.</p>
<p>“That’s right! My name’s Ochaco Uraraka. Nice to meet you!” She said with a wide smile. “Let me see if I get it right. You’re Tenya Ida, Ren Amamiya, and… wait, is your name Deku or Izuku?”</p>
<p>Izuku was taken aback by the question. “What?”</p>
<p>“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just that Amamiya calls you Izuku, but I heard Bakugo call you Deku during the test.” She said.</p>
<p>“Oh, that. Well you see, Izuku is my actual name, Deku is just a mean nickname Kacchan likes to use to make fun of me.”</p>
<p>“Really? So sorry, I didn’t realise. Well, I think ‘Deku’ is actually kinda cute.”</p>
<p>“You can call me ‘Deku’ if you want!” Izuku replied almost too quickly. He tried to use his hands to cover his deeply red cheeks.</p>
<p>Ren tried to hold back his laughter at the boy’s lack of game. The now quartet made their way towards the train station, eventually parting ways to head to their respective lines. Ren and Izuku stuck together until they arrived at the same intersection where they met that morning.</p>
<p>“Well, that was an intense first day, wasn’t it?” Ren stated.</p>
<p>“Yeah, you can say that again…” Izuku replied with a sigh. “Hey, Ren. I want to thank you again. Not only for healing me, but for what you said during the ball throw test as well. It really meant a lot to me.”</p>
<p>“There’s no need to thank me. That was just my honest opinion. And I know you would do the same for me.” He gave him a warm and comforting smile, that later became a cheeky grin.</p>
<p>“By the way, Izuku…” His voice adopted a suggestive tone. “So… Uraraka, huh?”</p>
<p>“W-what?! I-I mean, what about her? I mean, she’s nice, isn’t she?” He said nervously.</p>
<p>“Yeah, she is. Ida seems alright too. I’d say we got a very interesting set of characters in our class.” Ren said. “This is going to be an interesting year…”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oof, this is a long one! It a while to write, but it's finally here.</p>
<p>I decided that Ren should take Rikido Sato's place in class 1-A. I wanted to keep the number of students at 20, and let's face it, Sato is just a background character. He doesn't have much screentime, so i would've found it extremely hard to write for him, so i decided to just write him out. I'm sorry. I aplogize to any Sato fans.</p>
<p>I always found it strange that Momo managed get first place in the test, beating characters with more physical quirks like Bakugo and Shoji. Then i came across this comic: https://imgur.com/a/IQAKq<br/>Now no one can convince me this is anything but canon. </p>
<p>Hope you all enjoy reading this chapter as much as i enjoyed writing it. Till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ren opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by dense fog. The thickness of it prevented him from looking beyond the edge of his bed. From the corner of his eye he spotted a blue butterfly fluttering around him. He observed as the small creature flew in circles, leaving behind a delicate trail of light. Ren put out his hand towards the butterfly, which landed on the tip of his index finger. He examined it closely, entranced by the aura that emanated from it. Suddenly, a soft female voice echoed in his head.</p>
<p>“Welcome back, trickster. It seems you have acquired a new bond. You seem to be on the path to unlock your true potential.”</p>
<p>“What is this? Who are you?” Ren asked to the air.</p>
<p>“This is not the first time we meet, trickster. I am your guide in this world.”</p>
<p>Ren tried to remember. Memories of a blue butterfly flashed briefly in his mind, but he was not able to place them. “What do you mean by ‘true potential’?”</p>
<p>“Connections are one of the basic cores of humanity. There is hidden power in meaningful, genuine relationships. Your power comes from your heart, trickster. The bonds and connections you make will strengthen your heart, and in turn increase your power as well. Even now, thanks to your newly formed bond with Izuku Midoriya, your personas have become slightly stronger. This effect will only multiply with the number of bonds you are able to create.”</p>
<p>Ren took the message from the mysterious voice with scepticism. Could it be true? Some of the peculiarities and intricacies of his quirk were still a mystery to him. Either way, he was very happy to have befriended Izuku. If making new friends was the way to become stronger, he didn’t mind at all.</p>
<p>“It is now time you went on your way. Keep nurturing your bonds and improving yourself, and you’ll achieve everything you’ve set out to accomplish. May we meet again once you have advanced on your journey, trickster.”</p>
<p>Ren woke up again. This time, he was greeted by the familiar sight of the attic above LeBlanc he had come to call his home. He inhaled deeply and held a breath for a second before slowly releasing it. He reached for his phone to check the time. It was still 30 minutes before his alarm went off. He dropped his head back into the pillow and blankly stared at the rafters above him.</p>
<p>It had been a while since the last time he had a dream like that. Apparently, turning his life around and befriending Izuku had somehow had an effect on his power. All thanks to the power of friendship or something like that? He decided to give it a rest. He wasn’t going to get any answers now, so overthinking could only end in frustration. He stood up to get ready for school and went downstairs to the still closed café. He made himself some fresh coffee and heated up leftover curry as breakfast. After eating, he walked out the door to meet with Izuku at the same corner as yesterday. The two boys really enjoyed each other’s company during the trip to and from school, so they decided to make it routinary. Today, Izuku was already waiting for him at their meeting spot.</p>
<p>The green-haired boy greeted him with a wave. “Good morning, Ren! Ready to go?”</p>
<p>“Lead the way.”</p>
<p>The two walked towards the station. Even with a dose of caffeine, Ren was still yawning; whenever he had one of those weird dreams, he woke up feeling even more tired than when he went to bed. Izuku on the other hand, was very much a morning person, and was engaging in casual chatter with his characteristic enthusiasm. The boy with the glasses did his best to remain awake and attentive of the conversation. They talked about their scheduled classes for the day, as well as their new classmates. Ren had the chance to learn their names and talk briefly with most of them on the first day of class. They all seemed friendly enough, bar a few exceptions.</p>
<p>When they eventually arrived at school, they entered their classroom to find most of their classmates huddled together and murmuring with each other in the front of the room. Ren and Izuku walked to their seats and greeted the group.</p>
<p>“Hey, guys. What are you talking about?” Izuku said.</p>
<p>Sero was the first to notice the entrance of the two boys. “Hey Amamiya, Midoriya. Have you heard? There’s a crazy rumour going around school.”</p>
<p>“What kind of rumour?”</p>
<p>“Allegedly, U.A. has taken in a new student with a criminal record this year.” Kaminari butted in. “And that’s not the craziest part. Rumour has it this criminal student was arrested for vigilantism.”</p>
<p>Those words immediately shook away any trace of weariness in Ren’s body. How the hell did they find out? That wasn’t important. The most important thing now was ascertaining how specific the rumour was.</p>
<p>“Really? Do you know who it is?”</p>
<p>Kaminari simply shrugged “No one knows. Apparently, the school is trying to keep it under wraps. Can’t really blame them, though. This is pretty shocking news.”</p>
<p>“To think a student among us is actually a hardened criminal…” Ojiro said from his seat in the front row. “Could it be someone in our class?”</p>
<p>Kirishima took a leaning position against the teacher’s podium. “No way a first-year student is a former vigilante. It’s probably a transfer student in the third year. Those guys are practically pros already.” He replied.</p>
<p>Shoji walked past him to take his own sit next to Ojiro. “But which Vigilante could it be? They are a dying breed in this day and age. There’s only a handful still operating.”</p>
<p>“It’s probably someone famous. Like that edgy guy with the skull, the Penaliser.” Kaminari said.</p>
<p>Ashido shook her head. “No way! That guy is like 40. It must be someone within high school-age”</p>
<p>“Could it be Crimson Cowl? He looked kinda young in his tv appearances.” Sero tried to guess.</p>
<p>“Hey, maybe it’s Joker. Not much is known about him.” Kirishima offered.</p>
<p>“That’s true. Nobody even knows what he looks like. He could blend right in. No one would be able to tell.”</p>
<p>Hagakure, who many hadn’t noticed was there as well, chimed in from the side. “Isn’t it so romantic. A dashing rogue that plays by his own rules.”</p>
<p>“I know right! Someone dark and mysterious… I bet he’s handsome too!” Ashido agreed excitedly.</p>
<p>As the two girls swooned over their romanticized idea of Joker, Mineta sulked in envy.</p>
<p>“I don’t even know who this guy is, but I hate him already.”</p>
<p>Jiro slapped the back of the purple boy’s head with her earphone jack. “How are you sure it’s a guy? Girls can be vigilantes too, you know?”</p>
<p>Ren’s face heated up in embarrassment. He didn’t expect that reaction from his classmates; they seemed to be taking the idea of having a potentially convicted criminal as a classmate surprisingly well. His relief didn’t have time to settle before Ida spoke up.</p>
<p>“I don’t believe an institution of such prestige as U.A. would sully their reputation by admitting a criminal. It is just baseless rumour”</p>
<p>“If they did, they must’ve had a good reason.” Tokoyami added.</p>
<p>Kirishima interjected again. “Hey, Just because a person is a vigilante it doesn’t mean they’re a bad guy”.</p>
<p>Todoroki scoffed loudly form the back. “Can’t be much of a good guy. They somehow believe they are above the system and deserve to take justice into their own hands. Only egomaniacs and conceited fools can be vigilantes.” He said.</p>
<p>Yaoyorozu stood up from her sit to address the group. “Todoroki’s right. That self-serving heroism only disgraces the vey profession of Hero we all strive to reach someday.”</p>
<p>“Exactly, those outlaws can in no way be compared to real Heroes.” Ida said, happy to have more people on his side of the argument. “You must agree, Midoriya. You also hold Heroes in very high regard.”</p>
<p>Izuku put his hand to his chin. He contemplated for a moment before responding. “I understand why you feel that way, but I cannot in good conscience condemn someone who puts their life on the line in order to help people. Let me be clear; I don’t approve of vigilantism, but I don’t think things are so black and white. Take Joker, for example. He has accomplished many heroic feats. He rescued over a 100 people trapped under the rubble in the aftermath of that earthquake a few years ago, and he also took down that mobster that was blackmailing high school students into running drugs for him. Yet he has never shown himself in public, even with the insistence of the media, so we can assume he doesn’t do it for the fame or glory. We all know heroes can’t be everywhere, all of the time; I’m sure that the people he saved didn’t care whether he had a pro Hero license or not.” He spoke firmly, but not preachily. “I feel better knowing that in this world there are people willing to do the right thing no matter what.”</p>
<p>Ren was touched by his words, he wondered if it might not be a terrible idea to confide his secret in him. Izuku’s conviction sparked determination in Uraraka, who seemed on the fence up until that point. She finally joined in on the discussion.</p>
<p>“Yeah, operating outside the law doesn’t erase all the good he has done. And besides, isn’t it a good thing that they’d let them enrol at U.A.? That means this person is looking for a chance to do things right!”</p>
<p>Asui approached the group. “That is a very sweet sentiment, Ochaco. But isn’t it also kind of naïve? If they’re ok with breaking the law how are they better than a villain? We must draw the line somewhere. There are rules for a reason.” She countered.</p>
<p>Yaoyorozu nodded to concur. “That is correct. There is no accountability without a proper protocol and chain of command. I’ll counter your example with another one. Remember the time Joker fought against Demolisher? The collateral damage from that battle amounted to over 20 million yen in material damage that went unpaid due to his lack of official status.”</p>
<p>Ren wished he could speak his mind freely. <em>“Hey, that wasn’t’ my fault! That guy had a freaking wrecking ball for an arm! I did my best to reduce collateral damage.”</em></p>
<p>Bakugo slammed his fist against his desk. “Rules are stupid. You can’t let bureaucracy dictate your every action. A true Hero knows what’s right and what’s wrong and acts according to their own judgement.” He stood up and pounded his chest. “I for one have a clear path to my dream of becoming the number one Hero, and I’m willing to break any rules that get in my way.”</p>
<p>“I’m really glad you think that way, Kacchan, I didn’t expect you to agree with me.” Izuku said.</p>
<p>“Shut up, you damn nerd! I’m not agreeing with you. Our opinions just happen to overlap a bit.”</p>
<p>The discussion evolved into a heated debate that polarised the whole class, pitching one half against the other. Ren tuned out the conversation. He could only focus on the potential consequences and reactions of his classmates if they were to find out the truth behind the rumour.</p>
<p>“… don’t you think, Ren?” Izuku’s voice snapped him out of his spiralling thoughts.</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, you’ve been awfully quiet, Amamiya. What’s your take?” Kirishima asked.</p>
<p>“It’s just a rumour. You shouldn’t believe everything that you hear.” Ren said.</p>
<p>Kaminari nudged Ren lightly on the shoulder. “Come on, man. You must at least have an opinion on the subject.”</p>
<p>“I think…” Ren doubted for a moment whether he should actually say anything. He didn’t want to lie, but he also didn’t want to incriminate himself. “I think if this person chose to become a vigilante, knowing full well what the consequences are, they probably saw it as something they had to do… or maybe even as a last resort.” He finally said.</p>
<p>Before anyone could react, they were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.</p>
<p>Mr. Aizawa stood by the door frame. “Class was supposed to start 30 seconds ago. You should all know better than to discuss pointless rumours. Today is when the actual lessons begin, don’t make me regret not expelling you yesterday” He scolded the class. “Amamiya, come help me get the new textbooks from the faculty office.”</p>
<p>Ren quickly obeyed. Once outside, the teacher spoke.</p>
<p>“I don’t know how this got out, but don’t let the rumours get to you. No one actually knows anything that can be traced back to you. For now, just focus on being a good student. We wouldn’t have given you this opportunity if we thought you didn’t deserve it.”</p>
<p>Despite his teacher’s invariantly dry tone, Ren felt the comfort he meant to convey. He quickly followed Mr. Aizawa to the faculty office, fetched the books and returned to class.</p>
<p>The rest of homeroom went by without a hitch. As time passed, different teachers shuffled in and out to the classroom to teach different subjects. Despite being a Hero centric course, students were still expected to master basic school subjects like mathematics, literature, and English. Ren tried his best to listen to the lectures, but he could not retain any of the imparted knowledge. His mind kept going back to the debate that had transpired that morning.</p>
<p>When the bell finally rung, Izuku invited him to join him, Ida, and Uraraka for lunch at the cafeteria. Ren politely declined; he wasn’t really hungry, and at that moment, he just wanted to be alone for a bit to sort out his thoughts. He made his way up the stairs. He figured the roof would be a good place to get some privacy.</p>
<p>Ren opened the door to the rooftop to find a someone crouching next to a cluster of planters by the corner. The stranger turned around to face Ren. She was a pretty girl with brown eyes and a light auburn hair so fluffy Ren thought she must’ve had a Sheep-based Mutant-type Quirk.</p>
<p>“Sorry, I didn’t expect anyone else to be here.” He said.</p>
<p>“Please, It’s no bother. I can’t blame you for wanting to enjoy the lovely spring breeze. I’m just tending to the garden; I hope I don’t disturb you.” She responded</p>
<p>Ren noticed a few desks scattered around the opposite side of the rooftop and decided to take one as his seating place for the duration of the lunch break. He took out a book from his messenger bag, an old edition of ‘The Great Thief’ he found in LeBlanc’s dusty attic.</p>
<p>After reading a few chapters, his concentration was broken by a clanking sound. He looked up from the page to see the fluffy girl from before who seemed to be using power tools to install a strange contraption around the planters. The girl finally stood up, dusted her hands and turned the device on. Water started pouring form the apparatus over the plants.</p>
<p>Ren was surprised by the peculiar machine and the girl that set it up. “Did you just install sprinklers?” He asked with curiosity.</p>
<p>“These are no mere sprinklers. It’s a fully automated watering system! It adjusts water level and temperature based on weather predictions and plant species. It also gathers information on the condition of the soil and growth development.” She responded proudly.</p>
<p>“Wow. That’s seriously impressive. Are you from the Support course?”</p>
<p>“Umm, not really. I’m actually in the Business course. I just like to tinker with gadgets from time to time.”</p>
<p>“Well, with your skills I bet you could make a lot of useful gadgets for Heroes to use. I would definitely like to try a support item made by you.”</p>
<p>“Oh, are you perhaps a student from the Hero course?”</p>
<p>“Yes. I’m just a first-year though, so this is my first week. My name’s Ren. Ren Amamiya.”</p>
<p>“It’s nice to meet you, Amamiya. I’m…” She paused for a moment. “You can call me Haru!” She finally said with a smile.</p>
<p>Ren arched an eyebrow at the girl, but he didn’t have time to question her. As she finished her sentence, the bell rang again, signalling the end of the lunch break.</p>
<p>“Alright, Haru. I guess I’ll see you around school.”</p>
<p>Ren headed back towards his classroom feeling a lot better than before. He was also really looking forward to his next class, Hero Basic Training. He walked into the room and took a sit in his assigned place behind Izuku, who shot him an inquiring look. He gave him and a small smile to let him know everything was alright. Izuku nodded in understanding and turned back to face the blackboard.</p>
<p>The anticipation in the air was palpable. Everyone was eager to experience the first lesson of Hero Basic Training. After all, it was the reason they all wanted to go to U.A. in the first place.</p>
<p>“I’m here!” The door shot open abruptly. A tall figure appeared form the hallway</p>
<p>“It’s All-Might!”</p>
<p>The students cheered. Apparently, the news of the legendary Hero joining U.A.’s faculty were true.</p>
<p>“Welcome to the most important class at U.A.! Here you will learn all the fundamentals of being a pro Hero and what it means to fight in the name of good. Today’s lesson will be… Battle Trial!” Their newest teacher exclaimed with contagious fervour. “And of course, a pro Hero must always save the day in style.” He pointed at the wall of the classroom, where shelves containing numbered suitcases appeared. “These were tailor-made to your specifications by the foremost clothing and design companies. Suit up and meet me at Training Ground Beta!”</p>
<p>The students rushed to grab their new Hero outfits. After everyone had theirs, it became apparent that there were only 19 suitcases on the wall. Ren had remained in his seat the whole time and was the only one without a suit.</p>
<p>“Hey Ren, you didn’t get a new outfit?” Izuku asked him.</p>
<p>“Oh, I… I already have mine.”</p>
<p>“Really? Where is it?”</p>
<p>“You’ll see. Go on to the changing room without me, I’ll catch up.”</p>
<p>“Alright, don’t be late.”</p>
<p>Once Ren was alone in the classroom, he took a moment to take it all in. The truth was, he didn’t hand in his clothing allowance form before the start of the school year. He didn’t deem it necessary; he already had a fully functional costume fit for battle. He stood up from his sit and exited the classroom.</p>
<p>
  <em>“I guess this is it…”</em>
</p>
<p>Ren finally arrived at the training facility. Everyone was already changed into their Hero outfits, while he was still wearing his uniform.</p>
<p>“Young Amamiya, aren’t you going to get changed?” All-Might asked.</p>
<p>“I was just about to, sir.”</p>
<p>Everyone stared at him expectantly.</p>
<p>He slowly stretched his neck and cracked his knuckles before closing his eyes. In an instant, Ren was swallowed by blue flames, his classmates briefly sank in terror at the sight. After a second, the flames dissipated and Ren emerged unscathed, his school uniform replaced by his Hero outfit.</p>
<p>He wore a Black tailcoat with a double-breasted grey waistcoat underneath. Black pants and dark brown Winklepicker boots below his waist. The outfit was finalized with a pair of blood red leather gloves, and in place of his ordinary glasses, his face was covered by a white domino mask with black accents around his eyes.</p>
<p>“Whoa. That’s so cool!”</p>
<p>“Sick outfit, man!”</p>
<p>Ren flashed a smirk as he adjusted his gloves. “It’s showtime.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I originally intended to make this chapter longer, but I'm happy I managed to sneak enough writing time during the Christmas celebrations to squeeze this chapter out this weekend.</p>
<p>Writing and formatting scenes with many people talking together is a bitch and a half, but i had a lot of fun writing the class debate. I think the characters' personalities make it very obvious who would be in team Joker and team anti-vigilante. </p>
<p>Some of you might recognize a certain character that was introduced this chapter ;)<br/>Haru is best P5 girl imho. She going to get the screen time she deserves, even if i have to make it myself goddammit!</p>
<p>Hope you all had very happy holidays and I also wish you a happy new year! Till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>All-Might explained the exercise for the lesson. The class would be split into pairs and face each other in 2v2 Battle Trials; one team would play the role of Heroes and the other of Villains. The Heroes’ objective was to secure the nuclear weapon in the Villains’ possession or to apprehend their opponents. On the other hand, the Villains would win if the timer ran out, or if they captured the two members of the opposite team. Teams would be determined by drawing lots.</p><p>“Alright! Let’s draw the teams…” The teacher said as he put a hand in the box. “Team A is… Uraraka and Midoriya!”</p><p>Ren smiled as he thought of Izuku and his evident interest in their brown-haired classmate<em>. “Good for him. If he plays this smoothly, it can be a good opportunity to impress her.”</em></p><p>All-Might continued the drawing of the teams. “Team B will be Todoroki and Shoji. Team C is… Yaoyorozu and Amamiya!”</p><p>Ren’s ears perked up at the mention of his name. He then stole a furtive glance at the girl who would be his partner for the exercise. Her demeanour was as serious as usual, but nevertheless she seemed satisfied to be paired with Ren. After all, they were both the highest-ranking students in Mr. Aizawa’s Quirk assessment test.</p><p>She turned to face him and started walking towards him. Probably to strategize about their upcoming team-up.</p><p>“You sure know how to make a dramatic entrance. That is quite a striking outfit.” She said.</p><p>“Thank you. Yours is pretty cool too.” He returned the compliment instinctively. He then finally took a good look at her hero costume from up close, and heat started to rise to his face. Her outfit was a lot more... <em>unrestraining</em> than he would have expected.</p><p>“It’s functional, but it’s not exactly what I wanted. I originally requested the designers to use less fabric to facilitate my creation Quirk, but it apparently clashed with costume regulations, so I guess I’ll make do with this.”</p><p>“Oh, that’s too bad. It would’ve definitely been better with more exposed skin…” Ren said without realising how that sounded, he blushed when it finally dawned on him. “To help with your Quirk and all that, I mean!” He quickly added to recover.</p><p>All-Might’s voice interrupted their conversation. “The first match is about to begin! Team A and Team D, get in position. Everyone else, head to the monitoring room to spectate.”</p><p>Ren was particularly interested in this match. Izuku and Uraraka were playing Heroes against Bakugo and Ida. He had heard about Izuku’s impressive performance at the entrance exam, but this would be the first time he’d get to see him in action.</p><p>Once everything was ready, a loud horn signalled the beginning of the match. Ren settled back with anticipation. This fight was going to be interesting…</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>In just a few minutes, team A achieved victory, and Izuku collapsed to the ground.</p><p>Ren could not believe his eyes. The green-haired boy brought half the building crumbling down with a single punch, yet he was out cold one second later. Just like his finger the day before, his punching arm was severely mangled. It was almost unfathomable that such a small boy could exert such colossal power. Could that be the reason he hurt himself? Was his Quirk literally too much for his body to handle?</p><p>Ren noticed a small robot carrying Izuku out of the training facility on a stretcher.</p><p>“Wait! Let me help, I can heal him.” He shouted as he started running towards his friend.</p><p>All-Might extended an arm in front of him to stop him. “Hold up, young Amamiya. Your eagerness to help your classmate is commendable, but you should focus on your own battle; your team is almost up. Don’t worry, Recovery Girl will take good care of young Midoriya.”</p><p>Ren reluctantly agreed and returned to the group of students. The class moved on to the next Battle, Todoroki and Shoji as the heroes versus Ojiro and Jiro as the villains.</p><p>Unfortunately, this match lasted even less than the previous one. Todoroki used his Ice Quirk to freeze the entire building in a flash, instantly immobilising the villains without even breaking a sweat. Everyone commented on the astonishing display of power by Todoroki.</p><p>“Not only is his talent outstanding, he already has great control over his Quirk.” Yaoyorozu said.</p><p>Ren felt a small twinge of jealousy. The truth was, he wanted to impress his partner too. He felt motivated to try even harder and not hold back during the exercise.</p><p><em>“Guess I’m going to have to use some old tricks.” </em>He thought</p><p>It was now his team’s turn. They were going to be Villains against team G, Kaminari and Hagakure.</p><p>Ren and Yaoyorozu took position on the top floor of the building where the pretend nuclear weapon was located; they began drafting their game plan for the battle.</p><p>“With her Quirk, Hagakure excels in stealth; they are probably planning on ambushing us. We better play defensively.” She said.</p><p>“That’s exactly what they’ll expect us to do. We need to go on the offensive and catch them off-guard if we want to win this.” He retorted.</p><p>“You speak like a man with a plan…”</p><p>“Do you think you can make night-vision goggles?”</p><p>She grabbed the book fastened to her back and quickly flipped through its pages. “I could make an image enhancing device. Why?”</p><p>“Thanks to Hagakure’s Quirk they have the factor of visibility over us. We’re going to level the playing field. Follow me…”</p><p>With Yaoyorozu in tow, Ren exited the room and walked down the hall towards a maintenance closet, where a rusty fuse box hung in the wall. He opened the fuse box, exposing the cabling within. He opened his palm, and with a flash of azure fire, his trusty dagger appeared on his hand.</p><p>A lightbulb went on in Yaoyorozu’s head when she understood her partner’s plan. She quickly pulled out a pair of night-vision googles from her navel and offered them to Ren.</p><p>“Those are for you.” He said.</p><p>“What about you?”</p><p>“Don’t worry about me, just follow my lead. Ready?”</p><p>She nodded and put on the device. Ren severed every cable with his blade, and the entire building sunk in darkness.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>“If you create a distraction, I can sneak past them and secure the weapon” Hagakure said to her partner.</p><p>They were on the ground floor of the building, strategizing their next move.</p><p>Kaminari nodded. “That seems like the best course of action. Both Yaoyorozu and Amamiya have incredibly versatile quirks. Our best hope to win this fight is the element of surprise.”</p><p>“Let’s do this! I’m gonna take off all my clothes and totally disappear.”</p><p>“Alright… Wait! You mean you’re not wearing anything besides those gloves and shoes?”</p><p>“Yes. So don’t look, okay?”</p><p>“It’s not like I can see you anyway!”</p><p>“They are probably going to stay on the top floor to guard the weapon closely. I’m going to scout ahead. Stay here, I’ll be right back.” The girl said before walking away.</p><p>Once he was pretty sure he was alone, Kaminari thought out loud to himself. “Mmm, I wonder what she actually looks like… She’s probably hot. She sounds hot.”</p><p>All of a sudden, the lights went out. He imbued his hand with electricity to try to illuminate the way.</p><p>“What the—?”</p><p>Before he could finished his sentence, a strange force struck him from behind. He quickly turned around, but he could not see anything beyond his own hand.</p><p>“Ugh, I can’t see anything.”</p><p>He took a step forward when he felt another hit from the side.</p><p>“Ouch. That hurt!” He stopped for a moment to consider his options. “I have no other choice; I can’t hit what I can’t see. I hope Hagakure’s not around…”</p><p>He channelled his power and covered his whole body with electric energy.</p><p>“Indiscriminate Shock!”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>“This is bad. I can’t see a thing.”  Hagakure said.</p><p>She walked aimlessly until she heard a strange noise.</p><p>“Kaminari? Are you there?”</p><p>The invisible girl followed the corridor towards the source of the sound. She saw an opening connecting to a side room at the end of the hallway. Bursts of yellow light and the buzz of electricity emanated from it, as well as loud thumping. It sounded like a fight was taking place.</p><p>“Kaminari!” She immediately dashed towards the light.</p><p>Upon entering the new area, she didn’t find her partner. Instead, she found herself face to face with a large skeletal pirate, shooting bolts of lightning around the room from the cannon in his arm.</p><p>“Wait a second, that’s the same skeleton as…” Her eyes went wide when it dawned on her. “No. It’s a trap!”</p><p>She turned around and attempted to retreat, but she ended up bumping into a tall shadowy figure. The girl flinched and braced herself for an inevitable attack. An attack that never came.</p><p>In front of her, Ren stood frozen in place. His brain was still processing what he was seeing. When he activated his Third Eye to see in the dark, he did not expect to be met by the sight of a beautiful girl, <em>completely naked</em>.</p><p>The Third Eye had always allowed Ren to see things imperceptible by most people, but he never stopped to think that it would probably let him see his invisible classmate as well. He was thankful for the absence of light to conceal how deeply red his face had gotten.</p><p>He was pulled down back to earth by a sharp squeal released by the girl before fleeing. He shook himself back alert and took up chase. It didn’t take long before he caught up to her. Ren used a tackle to pin down his target, and with extreme care about the placement of his hands, he proceeded to tie Hagakure with a rope provided by Yaoyorozu.</p><p>Ren stood up and averted his gaze from the girl, who was tugging and struggling to free herself from the binds. Ren couldn’t help but feel awfully dirty. “I’m very sorry for this.”</p><p>He headed back to find his own partner.  When he reached Yaoyorozu, he saw her standing with a large blanket over her shoulders, the night-vision goggles on her forehead, and small lantern in hand illuminating the vicinity. Kaminari was sitting down, leaning against a wall. He had an absent-minded smile and a little bit of drool escaped his mouth; he seemed to be pretty out of it. Ren noticed the blond boy was playing with a Russian nesting doll.</p><p>“Did he give you a lot of trouble?”</p><p>“Not at all. He tried to take me down using his Quirk, but this insulation sheet protected me from the electricity. He ended up overusing his power and frying his own brain. Then he just sat down with that loopy face. I gave him that to keep him entertained.”</p><p>Kaminari fidgeted with the doll in his hand. “It’s so cute. I wonder what’s inside… Whoa, it’s an even smaller doll! I wonder what’s inside this one…<em>*gasp*</em> No way!”</p><p>A horn echoed through the building, succeeded by All-Might’s voice coming from the P.A. “The two Heroes are out of combat! The victors of this round are the Villains of Team C! Both teams head back to the monitoring room for a match review.”</p><p>“Well, that went swimmingly. Nicely done, partner.” “Can you go untie Hagakure so we can head back?” She said.</p><p>“Why don’t you do it? I’ll take care of our zappy boy over here.”</p><p>“Alright.”</p><p>Ren waited in place until Yaoyorozu returned with Hagakure behind her. He then helped Kaminari up and supported him on his shoulder. The four of them made a beeline for the monitoring room.</p><p>Once they arrived, they were welcomed by the lively praise of All-Might. “Excellent work, team C! You took your opponents down proactively and efficiently!”</p><p>“They didn’t really do much. It was more like they let their opponents defeat themselves.” Jiro said.</p><p>“That is but another point in their favour. With thorough planning they were able to discern their enemies’ strengths and weaknesses and used them against them. And the psychological warfare of a surprise attack from the shadows cannot be understated!” The teacher said. “Who wants to tell me which of the participants is most deserving of the MVP title?”</p><p>Sero was the first to raise his hand. “It’s gotta be Yaoyorozu, right? Her quick thinking against Kaminari gave them the upper hand.”</p><p>“It could be Amamiya too. His plan to turn off the lights and his deception against Hagakure were pretty clever. Although he did choke for a minute there for no reason…” Asui interjected. “Which reminds me, how did you manage to see in the dark without your own pair of night vision goggles?”</p><p>Tokoyami was curious as well. “On top of that, how did you catch Hagakure so quickly like that? Even if you had night vision, she should still be invisible.”</p><p>“Is no one going to mention how he conjured a freaking knife out of nowhere?!” Kirishima asked from the back.</p><p>Once again everyone’s eyes were on Ren.</p><p>“I guess I should’ve told you earlier. It’s all part of my Quirk… I have this sort of sixth sense. It allowed me to perceive things that most people cannot. I can use it to track a target, read someone’s aura, or see in the dark.” He said, looking at the ground. “And apparently it also lets me see through Hagakure’s invisibility.”</p><p>Hagakure looked confused for a second. “Wait, do you mean that… No!” She quicky used her gloves to try and cover herself.</p><p>An awkward silence took over the room as everyone slowly realised what Ren meant, and its implication with Hagakure’s costume. People began to stare, and the invisible girl ran away in embarrassment.</p><p>All-Might coughed into his fist trying to disarm the tension and change the subject. “Let’s move on to the next match…”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Soon enough, all battles concluded and All-Might congratulated the class for their great work on first lesson of Hero Basic Training before dismissing them with haste. He quickly bolted through the exit, like he had somewhere urgent to be.</p><p>Class 1-A changed back into their uniforms and returned to their homeroom for the rest of their afternoon classes, which felt like an unbearable drag after the excitement of the Battle Trial. Eventually, the final bell rang, and the students stood from their seats to chat and discuss the events of the day before packing their things to leave. </p><p>Shortly after, the door opened and Izuku entered the classroom. He looked a lot better than earlier, but he still had some minor cuts and bruises, and he had his arm in a sling. His classmates rushed to him, wanting to express admiration for his incredible performance during the Battle Trial, as well as concern for his health.</p><p>A shy smile appeared on Izuku’s face. “Thank you, guys” he said as he scratched the back of his head. “By the way, has anyone seen Kacchan?”</p><p>“You just missed him. He looked a lot more irritable than usual.”</p><p>He immediately rushed back outside, presumably to catch up with Bakugo.</p><p>Ren figured his friend must’ve had some important business with the ruffian. They’d probably walk home separately that day. He picked up his bag and stood from his desk, but before leaving he also had something to do. He activated his Third Eye and slowly approached his only invisible classmate.</p><p>“Hey Hagakure… I just wanted to apologise for using my Quirk to… to see you back during the Battle Trial. I expected to be able to see just your aura, not your entire body so clearly. I honestly had no idea it would work like that; I have never met anyone with an invisibility Quirk before.”</p><p>She didn’t respond right away. She was way too embarrassed. He continued on with his apology.</p><p>“I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t see anything, but if it’s any consolation, I was mostly distracted by your hair.”</p><p>“My hair?” She asked in disbelief.</p><p>“Yes, your hair. It is quite beautiful, I must say.”</p><p>She was taken aback by the compliment. No one had ever complimented her looks before. Ever since she was little, she tried to compensate her lack of visibility with an acute fashion sense and an extroverted, bubbly personality with the hopes of making people notice her. Because of the nature of her Quirk, she never concerned herself much with her physical appearance besides her clothes. However, for some reason she always felt oddly proud of her hair. It was shoulder-length with a strawberry-blonde colour, and she always took special care of it. She diligently brushed and treated it with the best hair products regularly.  She was well aware that no one besides her could see it, but she still did it, only for herself. And yet, now for the first time ever, someone else admired all the effort she put into her hair. She was speechless; a strange sensation spread through her chest.</p><p>She blushed. “I-I see… T-thank you.” When she remembered that Ren could actually see her blushing, she blushed even harder.</p><p>“I’m still very sorry. I uh… I can let you see me naked if that’d make you feel better.”</p><p>She laughed. “That’s not necessary. I accept your apology; I know you didn’t have any bad intentions. Besides, I should probably get used to it. Since you’re the only one who can see me, it wouldn’t make sense to change my Hero costume. And I can’t expect you to just not use your Quirk whenever I’m around.”</p><p>It was now Ren’s turn to blush as he realised that seeing his classmate unclad was going to become a common occurrence. He mentally slapped himself. He needed to get it together, he didn’t want to be a creep like Mineta.</p><p>Ren bowed. “Thank you, Hagakure. I appreciate your trust in me. I promise that I will treat you with the utmost professionalism and respect whenever we use our Hero costumes.”</p><p>“There’s no need to be so formal, and you can just call me Toru. I’d say you’ve gotten to know me well enough to be on a first name basis. Don’t you think so, Ren?” She said with a wide smile.</p><p>He returned the smile. “Right. Thank you, Toru.”</p><p>“You’re welcome, Ren. I gotta get going. See ya tomorrow!” She picked up her things and waved him goodbye while she left the classroom.</p><p>Ren felt content with the result of his apology. He turned to leave as well when Kaminari and Mineta abruptly appeared in front of him, blocking his path.</p><p>“So, Amamiya. We’ve heard you can see through Hagakure’s invisibility”</p><p>“...What about it?”</p><p>“I’m going to need a thorough description. Don’t spare any details. Start with her measurements. Hold on! let me guess... 83-60-85?” Kaminari said.</p><p>Ren was creeped out by both his salaciousness, and by the uncanny accuracy of his estimate.</p><p>“Would you be willing to sit down with a forensic artist to draw a composite sketch?” Mineta asked.</p><p>Ren pressed the bridge of his nose, vexed by the two obscene boys’ antics. “Umm… Yeah, I’m going to go home now. You guys really need to work on your people skills. See you tomorrow.” He said as he exited the room.</p><p>“Amamiya, wait! Come back here!”</p><p>It was useless, he was already out of earshot.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Here we are again! </p><p>This chapter ended up being a lot more humorous than I originally planned, but I like how it turned out.</p><p>There's this image floating around the web that allegedly shows Toru's actual face: https://i.redd.it/bra5368b7ip51.jpg<br/>It has been debunked many times, but funnily enough, that is pretty close to what I always envisioned Toru to look like, so I'm basing her appearance off of that.</p><p>Thank you all for reading! I wished you a happy new year last chapter cause I didn't expect to finish this one so quickly... I guess i'll just do it again.<br/>Happy new year to everyone! Till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ren and Izuku were walking towards U.A. from the train station while engaging in a lively discussion.</p>
<p>“… essentially, my point is that he only ranks so highly thanks to his popularity amongst kids.” Izuku said.</p>
<p>“Hey, don’t disrespect Wash like that! He’s deserves his spot in the top 20. I’m telling you, he would totally destroy Endeavour in a fight.  Water is strong against fire, after all. It’s only logical!” Ren responded to playfully tick off his friend.</p>
<p>“I can see your reason for thinking that, Ren. But you are failing to take into account that…” The boy was distracted by something mid-sentence. “Hey, what’s that crowd over there?”</p>
<p>Ren looked ahead to see a large crowd gathered around the gates of U.A. High School. He noticed many of them had cameras, microphones, and tape recorders.</p>
<p>“Oh no, it’s the media.” Ren said with contempt.</p>
<p>“What are they doing here?”</p>
<p>“Probably trying to scavenge for a scoop to sell to the highest bidder. They’re just a pack of vultures.”</p>
<p>They approached the gates to enter the school, but when their presence was noticed, they were immediately mobbed by reporters. A woman shoved a microphone in Izuku’s face.</p>
<p>“Hey, You! Tell us what it’s like to study under All-Might. How is he adjusting to teaching life? Is he the cool and down with the youth type? What’s his stance on corporal punishment?”</p>
<p>Of course, they were after the number one Hero. Ren was disgusted by such predatory behaviour.</p>
<p>Izuku felt exposed in the spotlight. “Umm… I-I am not—”</p>
<p>Ren snatched the microphone for himself. “I can tell you all about Professor All-Might. What’s his morning ritual? Does he like pineapple on his pizza? Listen up, folks! I’ve got all the juicy gossip.”</p>
<p>The eyes of the reporter lit up, the rest of the crowd gatherer tightly around Ren to catch a piece of the story.</p>
<p>“I’ve heard that he and Sir Nighteye secretly %#@!$ hated each other, he allegedly called him a &amp;^%$@ !$#%^&amp;$#” Ren started spewing the most outlandish rumours his imagination allowed, all while strategically placing extremely obscene words in between the drivel. “Also, he stuffs a !@#^&amp;* sock down there to make his…”</p>
<p>The multitude of reporters became appalled at the masterful display of foul language. It was so scandalizing it could have offed a weak-hearted old lady.</p>
<p>“Damn. That boy can put my sailor father to shame…” One of the cameramen whispered.</p>
<p>The reporter retrieved the microphone from Ren’s hand with a horrified look.</p>
<p>“What the hell, kid?! You know we can’t air any of those words. This footage is useless!” She reproached in anger.</p>
<p>“Oh, is that the case? My bad.” He replied with a shrug.</p>
<p>Ren turn around and crossed the gate into school, Izuku following shortly after.</p>
<p>The green-haired boy stared at his friend with wide eyes, flabbergasted by the sheer profanity of his speech. “Wow, Ren… I didn’t even know you could… That was insane. I don’t know whether I’ve lost respect for you or if I now respect you even more.”</p>
<p>“Oh, that? I just wanted to mess with them a little bit.”</p>
<p>“Well, mission accomplished.”</p>
<p>They finally made their way into their classroom, where the students chatted idly around the room while the waited for homeroom to start.</p>
<p>“Hey, Midoriya. You’re looking a lot better than yesterday.” Ida greeted.</p>
<p>“Yeah, thanks. That was quite intense for a first lesson, wasn’t it?”</p>
<p>“Tell me about it!” Kirishima jumped in. “It’s a shame you were out right after the first battle. You didn’t get to see Todoroki freezing an entire building, or Amamiya going all ninja.”</p>
<p>“Aw, right. I’m sorry I missed your battle, Ren. How did it go?”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, I didn’t really do much. We won in the end, though.”</p>
<p>“You should’ve seen it! Him and Yaoyorozu shut the power and used the darkness to play mind games on the other team.” Ashido added.</p>
<p>“Yeah, and apparently Amamiya has X-ray vision and can see through people’s clothes.” Mineta said.</p>
<p>“That’s no it at all!” Ren protested.</p>
<p>The door finally opened and in walked their homeroom teacher.</p>
<p>“First of all, I’d like to give you props for your performance on yesterday’s combat training. I went through the video feeds and saw a lot of promising results.” Eraserhead said. “Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement.”</p>
<p>“Bakugo, you are talented; you can’t let a loss bring you down like an immature child. Midoriya, you sacrificed your arm again to win the battle; you can’t keep using that strategy to solve your every problem. You have to train harder and think harder to use your Quirk to its full potential. Hagakure and Kaminari, your initial plan for a surprise attack was solid, but when the tables were turned, you succumbed to the pressure. You need to learn how to adapt and think on your feet. Also, when in doubt, try to stick together. Amamiya and Yaoyorozu won that round by dividing and conquering.”</p>
<p>The teacher gave feedback sternly but patiently. After putting the threat of expulsion from the first day behind, class 1-A had come to realise that Mr. Aizawa was actually a highly competent teacher.</p>
<p>“Moving on, first order of business for today. You have to choose a class representative. I’ll give you an hour to decide, in the meantime I’m going to take a nap; don’t disturb me.” The teacher finished before snuggling down in his sleeping bag.</p>
<p>Everyone raised their hands wanting to assume the position of class representative. Seeing that they were getting nowhere that way, Ida spoke up.</p>
<p>“The position of class representative is not to be taken lightly. It comes with the great responsibility of leading everyone. It is imperative for the class representative to have the trust of every student in the class. Therefore, the best way to determine our representative is through a democratic vote; whoever can accumulate the most votes must truly be deserving of the title”</p>
<p>And with that sound argument, the class started casting ballots wit their votes. When Ren’s turn came, he didn’t think twice; he already had someone in mind befitting of the title.</p>
<p>Shortly after, the votes were counted and the results revealed. “And the results say… it’s a tie! Midoriya and Yaoyorozu both have 3 votes each.”</p>
<p>“What do we do now?”</p>
<p>On cue, Mr. Aizawa awoke from his nap. “We’ll do a tiebreaker between these two after lunch. For now, let’s carry on with class.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>This time Ren did join Izuku, Ida and Uraraka for lunch at the Lunch Rush Cafeteria, and he did not regret that decision. The quality of the food rivalled that of an upscale restaurant. The group briefly discussed the unexpected elections results, and Ida disclosed his lineage as part of the famous Ida family. The other three were not too shocked to learn that the blue haired boy came from an aristocratic background, given his tightly-wound personality. Midway through their lunch, an alarm rang in the cafeteria, along with an automated voice.</p>
<p>“Warning. Level 3 security breach. All students, please evacuate in an orderly fashion.”</p>
<p>“No way, this can’t be happening. This means someone’s manged to get past the school security system. This is bad!”</p>
<p>Panic and chaos took over the student body, who promptly ignored the instructions and rushed to the exits.</p>
<p>“What the hell? Why is everyone freaking out so much?” Ren asked.</p>
<p>“U.A.’s security system is one of the best in the world. I can only imagine who would be capable of trespassing it…” Ida responded. He looked around trying to ascertain the cause of the commotion. He looked out the window to see the mass of reporters that accosted them on their way to school. “It’s just the press from this morning! Everyone, calm down, there’s no need to panic, it’s just…” He tried to alleviate the agitation, but his words fell on deaf ears. “It’s no use, I need a way to get everyone’s attention.”</p>
<p>Ren saw Ida’s struggle and knew what needed to be done.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>*Doot Doot*</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>A thunderous brassy sound reverberated through the hallways, causing everyone to turn their heads to its source.</p>
<p>In the air hovered a massive, winged skeleton, it wore a white tunic and wielded a large ornamented trumpet in its hand. Its macabre presence inundated the area with silence. Ren interrupted the brief moment of piece with a shout.</p>
<p>“Everyone, listen up!” Once he had seized the focus of the room, he looked at Ida. “You’re up.”</p>
<p>Ida was quick to catch on to Ren’s plan. He nodded and turned to address the crowd.</p>
<p>“Don’t be dismayed, fellow students. The alarm was triggered by the media outside the school. There is nothing to worry about, everything is okay. As U.A. students we are supposed to remain calm in critical situations.”  “Form two neat lines and steadily head towards the emergency exits following evacuation protocol. There is no need for pushing and rushing.”</p>
<p>Ida’s confident and commanding tone left no room for objections. The students obeyed and calmly exited the main building to the school’s courtyard. Soon enough, Principal Nezu’s voice came from the school’s P.A., directing everyone to return to class. On the way back to their homeroom, Ida approached Ren.</p>
<p>“Quick thinking, Amamiya. Thank you for your help.”</p>
<p>“No need to thank me. You’re the one that gave me the idea, and you also put everyone in line. You spoke like a true leader. Now I kinda feel bad for not voting for you for class rep.”</p>
<p>Ida gave him a bittersweet smile. He was obviously coveting the title of class representative, and felt great disappointment when he failed to gain the confidence of his classmates to vote for him.</p>
<p>Once they arrived in the classroom, class 1-A started preparing for the election tiebreaker. Before the voting could begin again, Izuku spoke up.</p>
<p>“There is something I need to say. I feel honoured that you’d vote me as class representative, but I don’t think I am fit for this position. I’ve thought a lot about it, and I believe that Tenya Ida is the best person to represent our class.” His classmates wondered what could have prompted this change of heart. “He cares so much about this class, and today at the cafeteria he showed us all he is capable of taking responsibility and leading in a dire situation.”</p>
<p>Izuku’s speech garnered support from the students in favour of Ida. Comments of agreement could be heard around the room.</p>
<p>“If you nominate me for this position, then I humbly accept. I will fulfil the duties of class representative to the best of my abilities.”</p>
<p>Mr. Aizawa cut the celebration short. “Alright, alright. Ida is the new class rep. Hurry up and get this over with. The principal has called an emergency faculty meeting. All the afternoon classes have been cancelled. You are dismissed for the day.”</p>
<p>Everyone cheered at the prospect of a free afternoon and started getting ready to leave. Ren turned to Izuku.</p>
<p>“Hey, Izuku. Since we have this unexpected free time, do you want to hang out after school?”</p>
<p>“Um, I was actually thinking of going straight home and work on my training. I really need to focus on improving if I want to get a handle of my quirk.”</p>
<p>“Well, you do you, but don’t burn yourself out. A break is also a part of any good training regimen.”</p>
<p>The two boys started to leave when they ran into Toru and Uraraka on their way out.</p>
<p>“Hey, Ren! Since class is apparently cancelled, the girls were planning on going to the mall to get crepes. Would you like to join us?” Toru asked.</p>
<p>“You should come too, Deku!” Uraraka quickly added.</p>
<p>“Yes! Of course we’ll come. Right, Ren?”</p>
<p>He was not surprised in the slightest that his friend changed his mind at Uraraka’s request. “Sure. We’d love to join you.”</p>
<p>The four of them headed to the school gates where they met with the rest of the girls from class 1-A.</p>
<p>“Hey girls, we invited Ren and Midoriya to tag along. Hope that’s okay.”</p>
<p>Ren greeted the girls with a small nod and a charming smile, while Izuku waved at them nervously.</p>
<p>“Absolutely. I’ve been wanting to get to know these two better.” Ashido said enthusiastically. “Let’s get going!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The group placed their orders at the crepe stand and moved onto one of the large round tables in the food court to eat. Ren strategically chose his seat to allow Izuku to seat next to Uraraka while he sat on his other side. He could tell the green-haired boy was feeling skittish with them being the only two boys surrounded by girls. Ren decided to ease the tension by getting a conversation going.</p>
<p>“We are honoured you invited us to hang out with your exclusive girls club.”</p>
<p>“It’s our pleasure. You can consider yourselves honorary girls.” Ashido replied.</p>
<p>“Do I get a badge?”</p>
<p>His joke got a few laughs around the table and successfully broke the ice.</p>
<p>“Maybe we should make it an official club. We do spend a lot of time the six of us together.” Toru said.</p>
<p>“I suppose it’s because there are so few girls in our class.” Asui guessed.</p>
<p>Yaoyorozu sighed. “It is unfortunate that our class’ gender ratio is so heavily skewed towards men.”</p>
<p>“That’s funny, I heard Mineta say the same thing on the first day of school.” Ren said.</p>
<p>“I believe he actually used the words ‘This sucks, man. <em>Our class is a sausage fest’</em>.” Jiro corrected.</p>
<p>He chuckled at the spot-on Mineta impression. “I personally don’t really mind, though. I always take quality over quantity.”</p>
<p>“Ooh, funny and charming. I can see why you like this one so much, Toru.” Ashido teased her friend.</p>
<p>Toru waved her arms vehemently. “It’s not like that!”</p>
<p>“She’s blushing.” Ren said.</p>
<p>“Ren! Don’t tell them that!”</p>
<p>“It’s so freaky how you can actually see her…” Uraraka thought out loud.</p>
<p>“Yeah. Tell us, Amamiya. What does Toru look like? Is she pretty?” Ashido asked.</p>
<p>“Of course”</p>
<p>“The prettiest in class?”</p>
<p>“I’m not falling for that.”</p>
<p>“And he’s smart too.” She said, satisfied with his response.</p>
<p>Ren smiled fondly at the conversation. He really appreciated Izuku’s friendship, but he was not exactly the best at witty banter. It was nice to have someone to engage in quick-fire repartee with. His life had also missed a feminine touch for the last couple of years. Hanging out with the girls from 1-A brought a sense of normalcy back for him.</p>
<p>He kept the conversation flowing. “I do agree that the school experience differs a lot with a mostly male class. Back in middle school there was only a few boys in my class.”</p>
<p>“What middle school did you go to?” Yaoyorozu asked.</p>
<p>“Shujin Academy, in Tokyo.”</p>
<p>Asui put a finger against her mouth. “Shujin Academy… That name rings a bell, but I can’t quite remember where I heard it before.”</p>
<p>“So you’re from Tokyo, huh? You do have that big-city vibe.” Ashido followed.</p>
<p>“I hope that’s a good thing.” Ren joked. “I moved here recently to attend U.A.”</p>
<p>“So, how are you liking this town so far?” Toru inquired.</p>
<p>“It’s quite nice, actually. The people are friendlier, the shops are less expensive… the girls are prettier.” He said with a wink, earning him another round of giggles from the table. “And I got a great part time job at a café. So all in all, things are pretty good.”</p>
<p>Ashido and Toru jumped at the discovery of Ren’s employment.</p>
<p>“Oh my god you work at a café? That’s so cool!”</p>
<p>“What’s the name? I’ll have to go and try some of your coffee.”</p>
<p>“I’d rather you didn’t. I’m still just an apprentice. The boss is teaching me how to brew, but when I try to replicate it on my own, the results are less-than-stellar. Izuku can attest to that. Isn’t that right, Izuku?”</p>
<p>Izuku appeared distracted. “Uh, what? Oh yeah, that’s right.”</p>
<p>Uraraka noticed that Izuku had been left out of the conversation. She felt bad and decided to do something to fix it.</p>
<p>“What about you, Deku, where did you go to middle school?”</p>
<p>“I actually went to the same middle school as Kacchan. Aldera Junior High.”</p>
<p>“Oh, that makes sense. I thought it was weird that Bakugo seemed to hate you already on the first day of school.” Asui added.</p>
<p>“Yeah, why is that? Did you two have a crush on the same girl or something?” Toru asked.</p>
<p>“I’m also curious. I’m having a hard time understanding how someone could hate you so much, Deku. You’re such a nice guy! ” Uraraka said with a wide smile.</p>
<p>“Oh, t-thank you.” Izuku blushed lightly. “Umm, it’s a bit of a long story…”</p>
<p>“That Bakugo sure is a piece of work, isn’t he?” Ashido said.</p>
<p>Jiro laughed. “Apparently he didn’t get the memo that the whole ‘young offender’ aesthetic is so out of fashion.”</p>
<p>“He’s not that bad, honestly. He can be a bit rough sometimes, but I know that deep down he is a good person.” Izuku tried to defend his rival.</p>
<p>Uraraka seemed confuse by his reaction. “But he’s always so angry at everyone, and he insults you constantly.”</p>
<p>“That’s because he is so driven and set on his goals that it makes him inflexible. I don’t know anyone else as motivated to become the number one hero as him. I actually admire him a little bit; our rivalry only motivates me to try even harder.”</p>
<p>From the corner of his eye, Ren observed Uraraka. She seemed engrossed by Izuku’s passion. She looked at him as he spoke with true admiration in her eyes. He realised that his friend might actually have a chance there, and he would do anything in his power to help him.</p>
<p>As the time passed, the conversation slowed and eventually the group parted ways. Ren and Izuku took the train together as customary. Their car was almost empty thanks to the early time, and both of them managed to score a seat.</p>
<p>“Ren, can I ask you something?”</p>
<p>“Sure, what’s up?”</p>
<p>“How do you do that?”</p>
<p>“Do what?”</p>
<p>“You know. Talk with girls like that. You’re always so funny and confident.” Izuku said while looking at the floor. “I want to be more like you.”</p>
<p>Ren couldn’t help but laugh at the request.</p>
<p>“Is that so funny?”</p>
<p>“You don’t have to worry about that, Izuku. You are alright just being yourself. There are girls out there looking for a guy exactly like you.”</p>
<p>“You really think so?”</p>
<p>“I’m sure of it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Momo Yaoyorozu sat in the library of U.A. High school. Classes wouldn’t start for another half hour, but she had made a habit out of arriving to school early to enjoy the peace and quiet of having the library all to herself.</p>
<p>She had been an avid reader since her early childhood, having devoured every book in the private library of the Yaoyorozu estate before even entering primary school. It was only natural she’d seize the opportunity to peruse U.A.’s extensive collection, which included obscure tomes about the study of Quirks and the history of Heroics, as well as many literary classics.</p>
<p>Finally satisfied with her reading for the morning, she decided to go outside to stretch her legs. She sauntered around the school courtyard, admiring the modern architecture and the well-maintained landscape of the campus. She eventually reached the area outside the main building, where she saw a familiar head of frizzy black hair sitting on one of the outdoor tables. Opposite to him sat a winged demonic entity, clad in red and wearing a tall top hat.</p>
<p>Ren spotted Yaoyorozu from a distance and waved the girl over. As she walked closer she noticed a small, foldable chessboard on its surface.</p>
<p>“Hello there.”</p>
<p>“Good morning, Amamiya. Fancy seeing you here at this hour.”</p>
<p>“My guardian had some business in town, so he offered to give me a ride. It beats taking the train, but now I have some time to kill.”  He said while pointing at the board.</p>
<p>“Are you… playing chess against one of your personas?”</p>
<p>“Well, Arsène is technically a part of me, so it’s more like I’m playing chess against myself.” Ren explained. “And I must say, I have yet to find a more worthy opponent.”</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes at his joke, but she couldn’t deny the charm in the boy’s cockiness.</p>
<p>Ren recalled the Pillager of Twilight and gestured towards the now empty seat in front of him. “Care for a game?”</p>
<p>“I’m actually more of a shogi player, but I am somewhat familiar with chess.” She lingered for a second before making up her mind. “I guess I could go for a quick game.”</p>
<p>She took a seat and Ren arranged the pieces into place. He rotated the board to offer Yaoyorozu the white side.</p>
<p>“Ladies first”</p>
<p>“My, what a gentleman.”</p>
<p>“It’s the least I can do. You probably need all the help you can get.” Ren said with a cheeky smile, trying to entice her competitive side.</p>
<p>Oh, now it was on! She originally intended to play a casual match, but she would gladly take the chance to take Ren down a few pegs.</p>
<p>“How very kind of you.” She said sarcastically. “I’ll take the black side, Amamiya.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure? As you wish.”</p>
<p>Ren made his first move without much deliberation, a Pawn to D4. It was a very standard opening move; he opted for going easy on his less experienced opponent.</p>
<p>She reacted with a Knight to F6</p>
<p>Ren arched an eyebrow. It was a bit of an odd play, but nothing too unusual. He ignored it and continued with the game. After a couple more moves, Ren was taken by surprise. He recognized Yaoyorozu’s opening as the famous Nimzo-Indian Defence. A play beyond the knowledge of a mere rookie.</p>
<p>“’Somewhat familiar’, huh?”</p>
<p>She only responded with a knowing smile. He decided to proceed with caution and used the Rubinstein variation to keep his options open. She used her pawn aggressively to put pressure on Ren. She took her turns quickly and confidently; like someone who definitely knew what they were doing. Ren realised underestimating a girl like Momo Yaoyorozu was a foolish mistake. He decided to keep testing her, hoping to learn more about what she hid beneath the surface.</p>
<p>Ren tried a few more advances, but she had an adequate response to fend off each one.</p>
<p>“Nice moves. I can tell you’ve played your fair share of chess” He said.</p>
<p>“I played a bit with my father growing up.”</p>
<p>“Honestly, I’m not surprised.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” She asked.</p>
<p>“Well, you are always so poised and serious. You are obviously well-read and diligent, and you put a lot of effort into your education. It’s safe to assume that your parents instilled that behaviour into you. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made you do stuff like taking violin lessons and join the chess club.</p>
<p>“It was piano, actually.” She corrected. “And my parents didn’t make me practice chess. I actually liked it a lot.”</p>
<p>“Really? I reckon playing chess with their parents is not the most popular hobby amongst kids.”</p>
<p>“It is true that my parents always emphasised nurturing and stimulating my intellect. They encouraged me to succeed academically, but not in an overtly demanding way. They’ve never been nothing but kind and supportive.” She moved another piece before resting her arms in her lap. “My father would come home from work and he’d sit down with me to drink tea and play chess. I’d tell him about my day at school and he always listened like it was the most interesting thing in the world. He usually beat me effortlessly; I was a very sore loser, so I’d practice relentlessly to get better. I was never better than him of course, but sometimes he would let me win and praise me on how much I had improved.“ She left out a longing sigh. “I always looked forward to our chess matches.”</p>
<p>Ren could picture the scene vividly. He felt the nostalgia in her words. “That sounds really lovely.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, it really was. Though, you are probably right. I suppose it is not the most common scenario.” She returned her hand to the board. “What kind of stuff did you do with your parents?”</p>
<p>Ren paused for a minute to consider his next play. He fell into a comfortable rhythm with his centre advance, leaving his flank exposed. It was only natural she’d retaliate with an advance of her own.</p>
<p>“Actually, I…” He dithered briefly before deciding to continue. “My parents died when I was little. I grew up in an orphanage.”</p>
<p>She immediately regreted asking. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry.” She said with guilt.</p>
<p>“It’s all right. It happened a long time ago.” He tried to reassure her. “I don’t really remember much about them. I only know that it happened after a villain attack.”</p>
<p>“Is that the reason you want to become a Hero?”</p>
<p>“It’s part of the reason.”</p>
<p>She knew there was a lot more hidden behind those words. Her curiosity itched, but she felt it would be way too intrusive to pry.</p>
<p>Ren was pleasantly surprised with the way the match was developing. He was starting to see his opponent in a different light. The game proceeded with both players evenly matched, neither of them saying a word. Eventually Ren broke the silence.   </p>
<p>“I’m sorry if I made the conversation get a bit too heavy. Let’s change the subject.” He said as he took his turn. “Any other hobbies besides chess?”</p>
<p>“Well, I do love reading.”</p>
<p>He chuckled. “Figures. You even carry that book around you for your Hero costume”</p>
<p>“That’s different. That book is just my Yaoyorictionary. It’s a cheat sheet of different materials so I can look up the molecular composition of anything I may need to create in a pinch.”</p>
<p>“You call it the ’Yaoyorictionary’?” Ren asked incredulously. “That’s adorable.”</p>
<p>The unexpected comment made her hesitate before making her next move. She felt a bit silly for using that name, which caused her to blush noticeably.</p>
<p>Seeing her like that stirred something in Ren; her blush was way more adorable than the book. There was a lot more to Yaoyorozu than he originally imagined. Apparently the calm and collected girl could be cracked.</p>
<p>“I’ll have you know I don’t read exclusively for educational purposes. I also enjoy reading poetry and novels, especially mystery and romance.” She tried to divert.</p>
<p>That last part caught his attention. An idea started forming in his head. Ren saw an opening and went on the offensive.</p>
<p>“Do you have a boyfriend?”</p>
<p>She was a bit startled by the question, but carried on with her turn quickly. “I do not.”</p>
<p>“Is that so? I would’ve imagined a girl as brilliant and beautiful as you would have a trail of suitors on her heels.”</p>
<p>She ignored the blatant flattery. “You are not entirely wrong. I often receive unwanted attention from boys. I am just not interested in that sort of thing at the moment.”</p>
<p>Ren looked down. “Oh, that’s too bad.”</p>
<p>That finally cracked her composure. She accidentally dropped her piece as she was about to move it. Was he implying what she thought he was? That couldn’t be… Yaoyorozu wasn’t sure of how to proceed.</p>
<p>“W-what?! I-I…”</p>
<p>Ren felt his opponent falter after successfully flustering her. He pressed on the attack with his Queen.</p>
<p>“Check”.</p>
<p>She looked down at board and realised in her state of disconcert she had unwittingly made a couple of imprecise moves, leaving her King vulnerable. She narrowed her eyes at him. </p>
<p>“You did that on purpose!” She exclaimed.</p>
<p>“Do what?”</p>
<p>She initiated a retreating manoeuvre, but the white Queen and Rook immediately took chase. After a couple of more turns, defeat was imminent. Ren attacked with his Queen one last time.</p>
<p>“Check mate.”</p>
<p>“That’s not fair. You cheated!” She complained.</p>
<p>Ren continued to feign innocence. “Whatever do you mean?”</p>
<p>Before she could protest again, the first bell of the day rang, instructing them to get to class. Ren began picking up the board.</p>
<p>“That was fun! Let’s have a rematch soon. And don’t worry, I won’t let you win.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I won’t either.”</p>
<p>Yaoyorozu found herself looking forward to the challenge, wanting to get revenge on Ren. She was determined to win next time. She was a sore loser after all.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>During class, Mr. Aizawa explained that class 1-A would head to a specialised facility for a Rescue Trial lesson. The students changed into their Hero costumes and boarded a shuttle towards their destination. Inside the bus, a conversation erupted, discussing the Quirks of the class, especially Izuku’s, which bore uncanny resemblance to All-Might’s Quirk.</p>
<p>“That’s just a coincidence, our powers are not that similar.” Izuku said to dismiss any speculation.</p>
<p>“Yeah, All-Might doesn’t break his arm every time he throws a punch. No offence, Midoriya.” Kaminari said.</p>
<p>“Still, though. You can do a lot of flashy stuff with an augmenting Quirk like that.” Kirishima added. “Although, If we’re talking about flashy quirks, Amamiya’s got the flashiest by far. I mean, demonic creatures, summoning outfit and weapons command, a sixth sense. Is there something you can’t do?”</p>
<p>“Probably fix Bakugo’s bad temper.” Asui quipped.</p>
<p>Bakugo stood from his seat. “What did you say?! You think I have a bad temper?! I’ll kick your ass, frogger!”</p>
<p>“I don’t know how you can say that, Tsu. Bakugo is the very definition of serenity.” Ren said.</p>
<p>“That’s right, I’m the… Are you making fun of me?! I’ll kill you!”</p>
<p>Mr. Aizawa interrupted the argument. “Settle down, everyone. We’re arriving.”</p>
<p>When the students disembarked the shuttle, they saw the facade of a massive complex reminiscent of a sports stadium.</p>
<p>“Hello, everyone. I’ve been waiting for you” A person in an astronaut suit greeted them. “Some of you may know me already. I’m the Space Hero: Thirteen, and I specialise in search and rescue missions.”</p>
<p>“This facility is designed to simulate any type of disaster. Landslides, fires, typhoons, you name it! We’ll be training here to prepare you and teach you how to use your powers to deal with natural disasters and emergencies. We call it the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, or USJ for short.” She proclaimed grandiosely “Let’s head in.”</p>
<p>And so the students of class 1-A went inside, excited for their Heroics lesson, blissfully unaware of what the future held for them.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>First chapter of 2021, let's go!</p>
<p>This one ended up being waaay longer than I had planned. I just could. not. stop. writing.<br/>I had to force myself away from my keyboard, otherwise i would've kept overthinking things and the chapter would've gone on forever. This may have caused this chapter to be a bit rough around the edges, though i do like how i turned out.</p>
<p>P5's Trumpeter always made me think of the Skull Trumpet meme. I can't be the only one, right?</p>
<p>I find that Ren's personality compliments the rest of Class 1-A seamlessly. It's so fun writing him interacting with the cast of MHA.</p>
<p>I'm really looking forward to next chapter. Till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Class 1-A, with the addition of their homeroom teacher and Thirteen, were now inside the Unforeseen Simulation Joint.</p><p>“Is All-Might late again?” Mr. Aizawa asked.</p><p>Thirteen walked up to him and whispered something in his ear. The teacher rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything else. The Space Hero proceeded to tell the students the importance of this exercise: to teach them about the responsible and safe usage of their Quirks.</p><p>When she was done, Eraserhead spoke. “Alright. Now that we’re done with introductions, let’s start—”.</p><p>Out of nowhere, the lights of the facility dimmed. A dark purple cloud appeared on the ground level of the USJ, and from within, a large mass of people emerged. The teachers were immediately on high alert, the students did not understand what was happening.</p><p>“Wow, are those more robots? This rescue simulation is totally realistic.”</p><p>“This isn’t a simulation.” Mr. Aizawa said. “Those are real Villains.”</p><p>The kids gasped in horror; some started quivering, while others could still not believe the situation they found themselves in.</p><p>Eraserhead put on his goggles. “Thirteen, get the students out of here and alert the main campus. I’ll hold them off while I can.”</p><p>Ren saw the mob of Villains coming closer. They were too many to count, there was no way their teacher could take on all of them alone. He knew it was time to put his experience in Vigilantism to good use.</p><p>Thirteen started escorting the class back to the building’s entrance atrium. Eraserhead dashed towards the villains, Ren following right behind him. The teacher stopped abruptly when he noticed the student in his heels.</p><p>“Stand back!”</p><p>“What?! There’s no way I’ll just sit back and watch. You know what I can do; let me help!”</p><p>“That’s exactly why I need you to stay back. Protect your classmates.” The teacher said. “That’s an order.”</p><p>Before he had a chance to protest, Eraserhead quickly descended down the stairs into the central plaza where the intruders had spawned.</p><p>A group of Villains surrounded the pro Hero; confident in their numbers advantage, they launched a simultaneous first attack with their quirks, only to find they were unable to use their power. Eraserhead took advantage of their initial shock to counterattack; he used his capturing weapon to bind one of his attackers before swinging him around to take out the rest.</p><p>Ren spectated in awe from a distance. He was aware of Eraserhead’s reputation but seeing him fight with his own eyes confirmed it was not at all exaggerated. Nevertheless, his fighting style was not suited for drawn-out fights against many opponents, and he could only use his Erasure so much before needing to blink. Ren knew his teacher could not keep this up for much longer, he needed support. He decided to go in and took a step forward before something pulled him back.</p><p>“Amamiya. We have to leave now!”</p><p>Thirteen used a small burst of her quirk to drag Ren back into the group of students. He knew there was no point in struggling. Reluctantly, he acquiesced to the command.</p><p>Class 1-A started their retreat, but just shy of reaching the entrance, their path was blocked by the appearance of a dark purple mist.</p><p>“Greetings. We are the League of Villains. Forgive our audacity, but... today, we've come here to U.A. High School—this bastion of heroism...to end the life...of All-Might, the Symbol of Peace.” A voice called from within the darkness. “Although, it appears there has been some sort of scheduling conflict. Wasn’t he supposed to be here today? Well, I guess it makes little difference now; the show must go on.”</p><p>Kirishima and Bakugo attempted a frontal assault to clear their escape route, causing a big cloud of smoke from Bakugo’s explosion.</p><p>“You talk way too much, purple fart.”</p><p>The smoke dissipated to reveal the hazy Villain still intact.</p><p>“I didn’t expect any less from U.A. students. But you reckless children should be more careful, otherwise you might end up hurting someone.” “Don’t worry, I’ll take you all somewhere where you won’t be such a nuisance.”</p><p>Dark clouds shot from the Villain’s body to surround them. The mist started to converge until Class 1-A was completely swallowed by the darkness.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>The next thing Ren felt was a forceful impact on his front side, followed by intense heat. He stood up and looked around to see he had landed face first in what appeared to be an urban area reminiscent of the backstreets of Tokyo. He discovered the source of the heat; the buildings and the streets were burning, as if a great fire got out of control and took over the whole city. A voice called from behind him.</p><p>“Are you alright?”</p><p>When he turned around, he found the voice belonged to one of his classmates, Fumikage Tokoyami.</p><p>“Yes, thank you.“ He answered. ”Where the hell are we?”</p><p>“This appears to be the conflagration simulation area inside the USJ.”</p><p>Ren took a moment to examine the flaming surroundings. “That smoke Villain transported us here. He must have some sort of warping Quirk”</p><p>“We should head back to the entrance and try to contact the U.A. staff.”</p><p>Ren looked up and down his companion. “I don’t suppose you can fly?”</p><p>Tokoyami responded with an unamused look.</p><p>“Sorry, it’s just that the entrance is on the opposite end of the facility. We would have to cross the central area, that’s where the Villains are. It’s better if we go around to avoid fighting.”</p><p>Ren knew that there were many talented kids in U.A., but none of them had fought any actual Villains before. This wasn’t a mere training exercise; their lives were at stake here. The safest plan was to stay away from confrontations. </p><p>“Here they are. It’s those wannabe-Hero kids. Let’s get them.”</p><p>Both of them looked to their side and saw a trio of rough looking men. Villains, without a doubt; and they were out for blood.</p><p>“It seems there’s no avoiding this one...” He sighed.</p><p>Ren summoned his blade and gun and adopted a fighting stance. The slightest hint of a twinkle appeared in his eye; deep down he had missed the action of battle these past couple of weeks.</p><p>The Villains charged towards him with their own weapons in hand. He prepared to swing his blade when an enormous black arm crushed the attackers against a nearby wall.</p><p>Ren blinked for an instant. His eyes followed the trajectory of the arm back to its origin, Tokoyami.</p><p>“Nice one.” He said, impressed by the power of Dark Shadow.</p><p>“There’s more on the way.”</p><p>Surely enough, there was an even bigger pack of thugs incoming. Ren gripped his mask.</p><p>“Milady!” He called upon the legendary femme fatale. “Triple Down!”</p><p>The Persona’s dress opened up to reveal an arsenal of artillery, the centrepiece of it being two large gatling guns, which promptly started spinning to unleash a barrage of firepower on the Villain’s frontline.</p><p>Tokoyami followed up by sending Dark Shadow to wreck the backline; one swipe of its claws was enough to take out most of them. The shadowy being then grabbed a hoodlum in each hand and proceeded to smash them against each other.</p><p>The low-level criminals were no threat for the two Heroes in training, especially one with as much combat experience as Ren, but their numbers replenished as fast as they were taken out.</p><p>Milady continued to decimate the enemy forces at same time as Ren scrimmaged with his own weapons. He made each one of his strikes count; each shot, each cut, a downed enemy. Tokoyami stayed behind, using his Quirk to fight off the villains. He opted for area attacks with the help of Black Shadow’s shapeshifting ability to knock multiple thugs out at the same time. The dark entity slammed down its fist against the concrete to squash a Villain. When the fist was lifted, its victim laid flat on the ground. Tokoyami moved on to another target, but after he diverted his attention, the flattened Villain regained his original shape. He extended his legs out to an inhuman distance and walked over the Shadow monster; he apparently had a stretching Quirk. The villain thinned himself to sneak under Ren and go after Tokoyami, who stood defenceless in the rear. The attacker took out a knife and stretched his arm to stab him. The boy closed his eyes, preparing for his untimely demise.</p><p>“Tetrakarn!”</p><p>The blade stopped mere centimetres away from Tokoyami’s neck. It collided with a translucid wall that shattered on impact, blowing the villain away and knocking him unconscious.</p><p>“I think that was the last of them.” Ren said between pants. “Are you hurt?”</p><p>Tokoyami was in shock from his close encounter with death.</p><p>“I-I… You saved my life. I can’t thank you enough.” He managed to say. “He got away from my Dark Shadow and I just couldn’t do anything. I just stood there, helpless… ”</p><p>Ren put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I know what you mean. Our Quirks are actually very similar. You can let someone else do the fighting for you while you don’t have to move a muscle. Because of that, they excel at long range combat, but they leave you exposed in close quarters. That’s why I use this.” He said as he twirled his dagger on his hand. “I could teach you some hand-to-hand combat, if you’re interested.”</p><p>“I will gladly take you up on that offer… if we make it out of here.”</p><p>Right, there was no time for idle chat. They were in the middle of a critical situation. Ren hoped Izuku and the rest of his classmates were safe. </p><p>“We should keep moving.”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Drop your weapons, hands where I can see them. And don’t even think about using your Quirks or I’ll off your friend here.”</p><p>Yaoyorozu and Jiro followed the man’s orders and raised their hands. After being warped form the entrance, the two girls and Kaminari had landed in USJ’s Mountain Zone, where they were ambushed by a group of Villains. They successfully defended against them, but one managed to sneak through and take Kaminari hostage.</p><p>The pair were mentally chastising themselves for falling into the trap. The rest of the downed Villains were starting to stand back up; all their efforts were for nothing.</p><p>“I would really hate to kill your friend, so don’t make me do it. If you want him to live, you’ll have to—”</p><p>“Goemon! Mabufula!”</p><p>Out of the blue, a blizzard stormed the area. In a flash, all the thugs were left encased in solid ice.</p><p>“What the hell?! Is Todoroki here?” Jiro asked.</p><p>“Sorry to disappoint you, it’s only us.”</p><p>Ren responded as he and Tokoyami approached from a distance.</p><p>“You came just at the right time.”</p><p>“I always arrive precisely when I’m meant to.” Ren said with is characteristic overconfident tone. “Is any of you hurt?”</p><p>“Kaminari overloaded himself again, but other than that we’re fine.”  </p><p>“I’m glad to hear that. Are you three the only ones here?”</p><p>“Yes. We appeared here after that purple mist monster trapped us. Then a bunch of Villains attacked us.”</p><p>“I see. We landed in the Conflagration Zone. And similarly, we were attacked shortly after. ”</p><p>The group glanced around to admire the newly-built Ice sculpture display, courtesy of Ren.</p><p>“Hardcore…” Jiro said under her breath.</p><p>“What’s our next move?” Tokoyami asked.</p><p>“It seems our class was split and scattered around the USJ. And we have to assume the others have been confronted by Villains as well” Ren said. “Not all of our classmates have a Quirk suited for battle. You should try to find them and make sure they’re safe. These intruders seem to be mostly low-level street Villains, but there are still too many of them. The best strategy is to group up.”</p><p>Yaoyorozu appeared satisfied with the idea. “That seems like a sound plan—wait, us? What are you going to do?”</p><p>“I’m going back to the centre to help Mr. Aizawa.”</p><p>“No, you can’t go in alone! It’s too dangerous!” She said with an unintentionally shaky voice.</p><p>She noticed her body was shivering, affected by the sudden shift in temperature brought by Goemon. She instinctively crossed her arms to try to conserve some body heat, then she felt a warm sensation on her shoulders.</p><p>She looked up to see Ren had taken off his coat and draped it over her to shield her from the cold.</p><p>“That outfit doesn’t look very warm.” He said with a playful smile.</p><p>She opened her mouth to thank him, but the words didn’t come out. She was distracted by the realisation of Ren’s coat-less look. He was now only hearing his grey vest, leaving his broad shoulders and toned arms exposed. His pale skin accentuated the striking red colour of his gloves. A deep blush took over her face.</p><p>When Jiro noticed her friend had been staring for far too long, she used one of her earphone jacks to nudge her in the back, snapping her out of her daze.</p><p>“S-sorry! I-I mean, yes.… thank you.”</p><p>“Don’t thank me, I have no intention of gifting it to you.” His tone turned more serious. He looked at her firmly in the eyes. “I’ll come back to get it. I promise, alright?”</p><p>The girl nodded to convey she understood the meaning of his words. She could tell that Ren Amamiya was not one to make empty promises. She saw the look of determination in his eyes and knew that he had already made up his mind. It was not a look one would expect form a high school student, but someone who had been to hell and back. Seeing him so full of conviction took away her worry. She wondered if Ren had always had that aura about him.</p><p>Ren gave her one last confident wink before taking off. The remaining quartet watched as he headed towards the central plaza. Once he was out of sight, the focus shifted to Yaoyorozu; the red hue had yet to leave her cheeks. She quickly shook her head clear and regained composure.</p><p>“Tokoyami, you two came from the Fire Zone and saw no one else from our class, right? Then we should move onto the next adjacent area, the Landslide Zone.”</p><p>Tokoyami used Dark Shadow to carry the still indisposed Kaminari and started walking to the new destination.</p><p>Once the two girls were alone, a knowing grin took over Jiro’s face. “Amamiya looks pretty good in a vest, doesn’t he?” She teased.</p><p>“Let’s go find the others!” Yaoyorozu tried to deflect the question before quickly hurrying to catch up with Tokoyami. Ren’s coat was still dangling on her back.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Ren ran towards Eraserhead’s last known position, swiftly taking out any Villains he came across on the way. When he finally reached the centre of the USJ, he saw his teacher laying on the ground, beaten and bleeding. He was being pinned down by a gigantic black monster that looked like a mutated body-builder; next to him stood the purple mist villain from before, as well as an unfamiliar man with greyish-blue hair and dishevelled appearance, he had several severed hands gripping different parts of his body.</p><p>Ren took cover behind a bush to avoid being spotted, then he activated his Third Eye to listen in on their conversation.</p><p>“Tomura Shigaraki”</p><p>“Kurogiri, did you kill Thirteen?”</p><p>“The Space Hero has been taken care of. But unfortunately, I was not able to warp all the kids; one of them managed to flee the facility.”</p><p>Shigaraki was infuriated by the news. He started manically scratching himself. “Kurogiri… you fool.” He said seething. “If you weren’t our way out of here, I’d tear apart every single atom in your body.”</p><p>Someone was able to get outside! That meant Ren only had to hold them back until the cavalry arrived. The best way to get the upper hand was to surprise them now that they were distracted.</p><p>“Zorro! Garudyne! ”</p><p>The masked swordsman summoned a tempestuous gale that dissipated Kurogiri and sent Shigaraki flying back. The overgrown monster remained on top of Eraserhead, unphased by the air current. Ren fired his gun at it six times in quick succession, but the shots didn’t even scratch the abomination’s skin. They did however, serve to make it angry.</p><p>The monster pounced forward and landed fist first into the ground, leaving a crater where Ren would have been had he not dodged with a one-handed backflip. The attack didn’t connect, but it did injected fear into his veins. Not only was that creature inhumanly strong, its speed was comparable to that of All-Might himself.</p><p>He sent Zorro to confront the creature. He delivered a continues assault of rapier slashes, wind magic, and even a Miracle Punch, but nothing had any effect on the monster. It responded to Zorro’s offensive by throwing a single punch with meteoric strength. The Persona took most of the impact, but Ren could still feel the blow on his own body.</p><p>Ren dropped to one knee due to the unbearable pain<em>. </em>He started to panic; years of fighting petty crime and mid-grade Villains had made him overconfident in his abilities. He was no pro Hero, there was no way he could defeat this monster by himself. </p><p>That’s when it occurred to him. It was a last resort; it would definitely drain all his remaining energy and hinder his fighting ability, but one and a half versus one was still better than one versus one.</p><p>Ren made Zorro back away from his opponent and turned to face the still unconscious Eraserhead.</p><p>“Samarecarm.”</p><p>A pillar of green light shun over the pro Hero, restoring his vitality and healing his wounds before vanishing in a blue flash. He opened his eyes and rose to his feet. There were still visible marks of his injuries, but his body moved surely and unimpaired.</p><p>“That’s going to leave a scar.” Ren said.</p><p>“Never been one for vanity.” Eraserhead said drily. “I feel fresh as a daisy, though. I assume I’ve got you to thank for that. I thought I told you to stay behind.”</p><p>“Never been one for respecting authority.” Ren replied. “In all seriousness, I used up all my juice to heal you; that means I can’t call on my Personas anymore. We’re gonna have to fight this one out the old-fashioned way.” He said as he cracked his knuckles.</p><p>They turned to face the monster that was now running towards them. The two of them jumped out of the way and countered with a joint attack. They could not beat the creature with a frontal assault, but using Hit-and-run tactics they started to wear it out.</p><p>Eraserhead briskly maneuverer around the monster, evading its attacks while patiently entangling it in his scarf; he then pulled from the cloth to bind the colossus.  Ren was quick to follow up by climbing on the creature’s back and used all of his strength to stab its exposed brain with his dagger, bringing the beast down to its knees.</p><p>Mr. Aizawa and his student stepped back and a long exhale escaped their mouths.</p><p>“Piece of cake.” Ren said sarcastically.</p><p>Their relief was short lived, for the monster slowly stood back up again. It reached its hand to its head, pulled the blade out, and dropped it on the ground.</p><p>“Son of a—”</p><p>“Nice try, though it will take a lot more than that to take out my Nomu…” Meanwhile, Shigaraki manifested from behind the monster, ready to join the fight.</p><p>The numerical advantage was no longer on their side, and both of them were already exhausted from fending off the black behemoth. This much was apparent for their only talking opponent.</p><p>“… now it’s my turn.”</p><p>Shigaraki dashed ahead with his hand extended aimed towards Ren, but before it could make contact, it collided with a pillar of ice. A cry of outrage from Shigaraki was followed by a deafening explosion that forced him to back away.</p><p>“Get out of my way, Tuxedo Mask. Watch and learn how a real Hero does it.” Ren recognised the insult came from Bakugo’s voice.</p><p>He looked around to find Todoroki, Bakugo and Kirishima had arrived in the nick of time to save them. Right behind them he also saw Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, and Toru, as well as Izuku and Tsuyu… the whole class was there!</p><p>“Ren! There you are!” Toru exclaimed as she ran to Ren.</p><p>“Toru! I’m so happy you’re okay. Is everyone from our class here?”</p><p>“Everyone but Ida, he managed to escape and went to get help.”</p><p>“We went to find everyone else and rushed back here to support you.” Yaoyorozu added. “Just making sure you kept your promise.” She said as she handed him back his coat.</p><p>Ren took the coat in his hand and their eyes met. His heart warmed at the gesture; there was more he wanted to say, but their moment was interrupted by the sound of explosions.</p><p>Bakugo, Todoroki, and Kirishima jumped on the Nomu, using the combined power of their Quirks to keep him at bay.</p><p>“Stand back, kids. This is not a game.” Eraserhead said while he fended off Shigaraki.</p><p>“As if we’d let you take all the action for yourself.” Bakugo said.</p><p>Suddenly, the sound of far footsteps grew increasingly loud. From the distance, they saw a horde of Villains approaching them.</p><p>“Oh, no! They must have followed us here.”</p><p>“There’s nowhere to run now” Ren said. “We have no choice but to fight them head on.”</p><p>While Mr. Aizawa fought Shigaraki and the trio took care of the Nomu, the rest of the class supported them by keeping the rest of the villains occupied. Once again, Ren’s weapons appeared in his hands surrounded by blue fire, and Yaoyorozu crated a bō staff to wield.</p><p>Despite their lack of training, the students managed to handle most of the Villains thanks to raw power and teamwork. Nevertheless, they were still heavily outnumbered; each one of them would have to defeat over 5 villains to finish them all off. They needed to tip the scale in their favour somehow. Ren lamented having spent all of his energy, he could’ve used his Quirk to… An idea started forming in his head.</p><p>“Yaoyorozu, you can create any non-living thing, right?”</p><p>“That’s correct, why?” She said as she hit a Villain in the crotch with her staff.</p><p>“I need you to make me a cup of coffee.”</p><p>“What?! This isn’t the time for—”</p><p>“Just trust me!”</p><p>She hesitated for a second, but there was no doubt in her mind that she did trust him; she created a helping of coffee served in an unnecessarily ostentatious ceramic cup and handed it to ren.</p><p>“Cover Me.” Ren took the cup, swallowed its content in one large swig, and smashed it on a Villain’s head. He felt the instant rush of caffeine and the new energy coursing through his body.</p><p>“Captain Kidd! Matarukaja!”</p><p>A red glow engulfed the students. Ren used the power of his persona to increase his classmates’ strength. They all could feel the new power coursing their veins right away. Their punches hit harder and their Quirks were slightly enhanced. With this boost, they started to make a dent in the Villains’ numbers.</p><p>The brawl went on; Ren and Yaoyorozu in the middle of it. They combined and synergized their movements to efficiently take out their opponents. Yaoyorozu extended her staff to trip a thug Ren had kicked towards her. She went to finish him, but a blur zoomed by and hit her on the side. She looked around to see where it came from when she felt another hit from behind. Her attacker finally stood still and she saw it was a Villain with rocket like protuberances on his elbows, he used them to propel himself at massive speed while riding roller-skates. Yaoyorozu tried to hit him, but he kept spinning around.</p><p>The criminal dashed into her, disrupting her balance and disarming her in the process. He charged a rocket-powered punch to finish her off, but Ren jumped in between them to take the blow for her. The hit took the air out of his lungs and the boy fell to the ground.</p><p>“Taking a punch for your girlfriend, how noble of you.” The Villain rested a foot on Ren’s chest and looked at him closely.</p><p>“Hey, I’ve seen you before...” He said  “Yeah, I remember you, you bastard! About six months ago… I was just having fun robbing some banks, but then you came, beat me up, and left me for the police to find. You don’t look so tough now, huh?”</p><p>Ren started hyperventilating. That was impossible! But he had fought too many Villains in during his vigilante days to remember this one specifically; he couldn’t know for sure. No, there’s no way this guy could have recognised him. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”</p><p>“You can’t fool me, I’d recognise that ridiculous costume anywhere. You even had an equally ridiculous name. What was it again? Prankster? Jester? No…”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“… Joker.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The mention of his Vigilante name made Ren’s blood freeze in a flash. For a moment, it seemed as if time had stopped. At last, the last piece of the puzzle fell into place for everyone in class 1-A. It finally made sense; the rumours at school, Ren’s advanced experience over his peers, his eclectic elemental powers and mysterious past in Tokyo. It all lined up. Ren was the Vigilante admitted into U.A.’s hero course. He was Joker.</p><p>Ren was too stunned to do anything; his classmates were equally stupefied by the revelation. Before anyone could react, a loud bang echoed from the entrance, and the Villain collapsed unexpectedly.</p><p>“We are here!”</p><p>The variation of All-Might’s signature catchphrase signalled the arrival of the teachers. Cementoss, Midnight, and even principal Nezu were there; Ida stood next to them.</p><p>“Hello, everyone. Sorry for the tardiness, but we came here as fast as we could. Let’s go fellow teachers, our priority number one is to protect all of our students.”</p><p>Snipe had used his homing bullets to take out a number of Villains while All-Might immediately jumped straight down into the fray.</p><p>“Don’t worry kids, I’ll take it from here.” The number one hero said before lancing against the Nomu.</p><p>The monster absorbed the impact and retaliated with a hit of its own, which All-Might promptly blocked. The two of them engaged in an exchange of punches; the Nomu was resistant, but All-Might was slowly whittling away with his persevering assault. He eventually gathered the strength to deliver a devastating uppercut, sending the monster flying through the ceiling of the USJ.</p><p>The rest of the Villains realised the tables were turned and consequently panicked. Seeing the disarray in his forces, Shigaraki knew that the chances of success for their plan had been extinguished.</p><p>“All-Might’s finally here, but he brought all the pros along with him… It’s game over. Let’s go home, Kurogiri.”</p><p>The misty Villain obeyed the command and opened a warp gate to function as an escape route for Shigaraki.</p><p>As they entered the portal, the leader of the Villains said his final words to All-Might. “You might have won this battle, but know this, symbol of peace… Your days are numbered.”</p><p>With the main bosses gone, the teachers easily took out the rest of the villains. The students sat back and let the pros take care of it.</p><p>“Sadly, the main perpetrators of this attack managed to escape. They caught us completely by surprise. For now, let’s evacuate the students and call the police to arrest all this Villains.”</p><p>Class 1-A started heading outside the USJ. Ren was still on the ground when he saw a familiar gloved hand helping him up.</p><p>“Ren, are you… are you okay?” Izuku asked.</p><p>Ren observed his friend as he took his helping hand. He had broken his other arm using his quirk during the fight. Once he was finally on his feet, he looked at Izuku in the eyes and saw that he was looking at him differently. He discerned a hint of worry, as well as sadness, but there was something else, something he could not decipher… could it have been fear?</p><p>Ren sighed. What he had feared since before his first day of class had finally transpired. People not seeing him Ren, but as Joker. The inability to escape his past.</p><p>“We should meet with the rest outside…”</p><p>The crossed the main gates of the USJ and were met with the sound of police sirens. Law enforcement had started loading in the apprehended Villains into vans, the students were waiting by the side for the officers to take their statement. </p><p>As Ren and Izuku walked towards the group, all eyes were fixated on the black-haired boy. One didn’t need to be a medium to know what was on their minds. There was no doubt, everyone was looking at him differently, and they were all thinking the same thing.</p><p>They had survived a deadly encounter against the Villains, but trouble was far from over for Ren. His secret identity was finally out, and now it was time to deal with the consequences. He knew that hoping for a normal high school experience was too much to ask.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello again!</p><p>First of all, I'm very sorry for not replying to last chapter's comments; school's back again from winter break and my head has been a bit of mess. Nevertheless, I'm super committed to this story, so here's it is finally, the USJ chapter. </p><p>Tokoyami's Dark Shadow is basically a persona, change my mind.</p><p>For all of you who haven't seen Joker without his coat, Rokuro Saito (the artist of P5's Mementos Mission manga) drew a very good sketch of him. Spoiler alert, he's hot:<br/>https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DFa7BgRXsAEDhBz?format=png&amp;name=900x900 </p><p>There were some new developments this chapter. What does the future hold for our favourite trickster?<br/>Find out in the next chapter, Till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Class 1-A stood outside the USJ. The police were still arresting and transporting the numerous Villains; a detective with the head of a cat performed a head count of all the students.</p>
<p>“…eighteen… nineteen… twenty. That’s all of them. Everyone is pretty much unharmed; everyone except for you, young man— though I hear that was not a Villain’s doing.” The detective faced Izuku, whose arm had been broken during the brawl against the Villains. “You should go to the nurse’s office. All-Might and Thirteen are already there recuperating from the fight. I’ll go take one last look inside.”</p>
<p>Izuku nodded and started moving towards the nurse’s office. As he was leaving, he turned quickly to look at Ren.</p>
<p>Ren could not decipher Izuku’s look, but he had a good idea what he could possibly mean. Once the class was alone, a palpable tension took over the atmosphere. No one wanted to poke the proverbial elephant in the room. He could feel the weight of everyone’s stares on him. After what seemed like an eternity, Ren felt a finger on his shoulder to get his attention. He turned around to see a floating pair of gloves.</p>
<p>“Ren… is it true?” Toru asked.</p>
<p>Ren looked at the ground in embarrassment. He had never felt more exposed before.</p>
<p>Ida looked at her in confusion. “Is what true?”</p>
<p>Everyone shared looks as they realised Ida was the only one out of the loop. No one dared to be the first to fill him in, until Asui spoke up.</p>
<p>“Amamiya is the rumoured vigilante at U.A. He is actually Joker. A Villain recognised him from a previous encounter.”</p>
<p>“What? That’s impossible!” Ida exclaimed. “Isn’t that right, Amamiya? Tell them there’s no way that’s true.”</p>
<p>Ren turned his back to the group. He took a long inhale and an even longer exhale before finally speaking. “It’s true.”</p>
<p>Gasps could be heard in unison. Although most of them already suspected it, getting confirmation of the rumours from the horse’s mouth was still quite shocking for the class.</p>
<p>Ida’s expression turned to one of complete disbelief. “What?! There’s no way… Y-you… you deceived us!”</p>
<p>“That’s not true! He never lied to any of us.” Mina jumped in to defend Ren.</p>
<p>“Lying by omission is still lying.” Ojiro countered.</p>
<p>“B-but… Why would you do this? Don’t you realise that by breaking the law you are essentially no different than a Villain?” Ida asked.</p>
<p>“How can you say that? He just risked his life fighting with us side by side against actual Villains!” Kaminari said.</p>
<p>“That’s true…” Todoroki said from the back, seizing everyone’s attention. “I thank you for your help back there, Amamiya, but don’t think for a second that you are welcome here. You are taking a spot in the class that should belong to a real Hero.” His expression was as cold as usual, but the venom in his voice was evident.</p>
<p>Ida shook his head. “I have misjudged you, Amamiya. I cannot express how disappointed I am in you.”</p>
<p>“What’s going on here?” The students were taken by surprise by the sudden arrival of Mr. Aizawa, who was accompanied by Principal Nezu.</p>
<p>Everyone fell back into place and looked downwards, with the exception for Todoroki.</p>
<p>“Why don’t you ask <em>Joker</em>?” The boy said, scornfully. </p>
<p>The teachers’ eyes went wide at the revelation that the secret was out. Mr. Aizawa started massaging his temples to alleviate his incipient headache while the principal simply covered his mouth with his paw.</p>
<p>Before either of the could say anything, they were interrupted by the arrival of a police car. From the driver’s side exited a detective clad in a tan trench coat and a matching hat. The man surveyed his surroundings until his eyes stopped on Eraserhead and principal Nezu. Familiarity appeared in his eyes, he waved at the pro Heroes and walked towards them.</p>
<p>“Principal, there you are.” The man said.</p>
<p>“Ah, Tsukauchi. I’m glad it is you that’s in charge of this case.”</p>
<p>“Oh well, you see… I will be leading the investigation, but I am not exactly in charge of the case.”</p>
<p>The two teachers looked at each other with an arched eyebrow. Their confusion was interrupted by the thud of the other car door closing, followed by the rhythmic clacking of high heels against the ground. From the passenger side emerged a tall, gorgeous woman with long silver hair and eyes the colour of intense crimson. She approached the trio of men, drawing the eyes of everyone in the vicinity in the process. Her head-turning beauty was only eclipsed by her severe demeanour. Many had been the men that made the grave mistake of suggesting she ‘should smile more’.</p>
<p>Tsukauchi gestured towards the woman. “Principal Nezu, Eraserhead; this is—”</p>
<p>“Sae Nijima…” Eraserhead said mockingly. “To what do we owe the pleasure? Did you run out of criminals to jail back in Tokyo?”</p>
<p>“Why? were you hoping to adopt another one?” She retorted before quickly shooting Ren a disdainful look. The gesture didn’t go unnoticed by his classmates. He wished the earth would swallow him up.</p>
<p>Principal Nezu was quick to interject. “It is nice to see you as well, madame prosecutor. Nevertheless, I must admit I am also curious as to what brings you to my humble School.”</p>
<p>“I am here to clean up this mess.” Sae responded. “The Public Safety Commission has had this criminal group in their sights for a while. There have been reports of Villains being recruited in large numbers, now we know why.”</p>
<p>“They call themselves the League of Villains. The PSC is forming a special taskforce to investigate them, and because of her stellar track record, Miss Nijima has been appointed to lead it.” Tsukauchi continued.  “One of our units has apprehended the monster that All-Might fought. It appears to be non-respondent to any commands, but it is not hostile either. We would like your permission to let the force investigate every inch of this school to find out any clue that may help us.”</p>
<p>“Of course, anything you need. We should continue this conversation in the conference room. Would you be so kind as to follow me? Eraserhead, I’ll leave you a moment with your students. Meet us in the conference room when you’re done.” The principal said as he guided their guests away.</p>
<p>“That woman…” Aizawa sighed in annoyance once they were out of earshot. He moved towards class 1-A, who were still waiting by the side.</p>
<p>“You’re dismissed for today; go home, I’m sure your families are all very worried. Classes will be cancelled tomorrow. Try to get some rest and recuperate. See you all on Monday.” The teacher said, and subsequently went to reunite with the principal.</p>
<p>One by one, the students took their leave without another word, but not before giving one last look at Ren. He felt unable to move his body. For a moment everything felt hard to believe; as if this was all a bad dream and he would wake up at any moment. He pinched himself in the arm to reiterate that he was indeed very much awake.</p>
<p>Ren considered for a moment going to the nurse’s office to talk with Izuku, but he figured that his presence was the last thing he needed at the moment. Soon enough, almost everyone had left the campus. Ren looked up to find there were only him and Yaoyorozu left. She was staring at the ground, motionless. Ren stared at her, hoping she would meet his gaze. She remained in that position momentarily, until she averted her eyes to the side and walked away without saying anything to Ren.</p>
<p>If Ren hadn’t been rendered numb by today’s experience, he was sure that the pain now would have been too much to bear. He hadn’t felt so alone since right before becoming Joker.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ren grabbed another plate and soaked it under the open tap. His hands lingered underwater for a moment. He focused on the sensation. The warm water against his skin, the coarseness of his hands after washing dishes for who knows how long.  Anything to keep the events from yesterday off his mind.</p>
<p>The lunch rush was finally over and LeBlanc was once more taken over by its characteristic quietness. Ren was keeping himself occupied with a pile of dirty dishes; Sojiro polished the bar with a rag while sneaking assessing glances at the boy from the corner of his eye. Ren had hardly said a word the whole day, and it’s not that the kid was the most loquacious, but he was not one to let go of the opportunity to deliver sass. Even when Sojiro tried to set him up with a suggestive question, Ren only responded with monosyllables.</p>
<p>“The dishes are done.” Ren said from the kitchen. “Is there anything else I can do? I can clean the toilet or—”</p>
<p>He was interrupted by the clank of porcelain against hardwood. Sojiro laid a plate of curry and a cup of coffee on the bar.</p>
<p>“No. You’re going to take a break and you’re going to eat. I still think you should’ve taken the day off, but if you insist on working today at least you’re going to take the legally required lunch break.”</p>
<p>Ren obeyed without any further protest. He sat down in one of the stools and started eating with an obvious lack of enthusiasm. Sojiro knew something was up with the kid, and that if he wanted to know he’d have to pry it from his cold hands. In the short time he had had him under his care, he had grown quite fond of the boy; it pained him to see him like that. He tried to use his limited parental skills.</p>
<p>“What’s got you down? And don’t tell me it’s because of what happened yesterday. I know you well enough by now, kid— and I know what you’ve been through. Hell, those Villains were probably way more scared of you than you of them. There’s something else going on.”</p>
<p>Ren stopped eating and laid his fork on the bar, but he did not lift his eyes from the plate. He gripped tightly at his knees, as if conflicted on whether or not he should speak up.</p>
<p>“They don’t call me a silver fox just because of my good looks, you know? I don’t know much, but I’ve learned a thing or two in my many years. Perhaps I can offer some advice.” He continued.</p>
<p>Ren took a second before finally speaking. “They found out.”</p>
<p>“Who found out what?”</p>
<p>“My classmates, they… they found out about me; about my past”</p>
<p>Sojiro sighed. That was definitely worse than a Villain attack. “It didn’t go very well, I presume.”</p>
<p>“That’s putting it mildly…”</p>
<p>“What happened?”</p>
<p>“One of the Villains recognised me inside the USJ. Apparently I’d beaten him before. Everyone was there. No one said anything afterwards, it was quite tense. Eventually a fight broke out and things got heated…” “Some of my classmates made it very clear that someone like me is not welcome in a place like U.A.” Ren said.</p>
<p>Even if he did his best to hide it, Sojiro could tell just how much the incident affected him.</p>
<p>“Ren, let me ask you this. Do you feel guilty about your time as Joker? Do you regret operating outside the law to save people?”</p>
<p>“Of course not. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”</p>
<p>“Then why are you letting those other people make you feel guilty about it?” Sojiro asked. “You had to grow up a lot faster than your peers. They simply cannot understand your situation. You have done a great deal of good, kid. I’m not saying you should be proud of having broken the law, but you are not a bad person. And you are trying to do things right this time, you’re going to school to become a pro Hero. And if you ask me, I think you’re going to be a damn good Hero someday.</p>
<p>Ren mulled over his guardian’s words. What he said might be true, but the harsh vitriol from Todoroki still echoed in his mind. Was someone like him truly worthy of forgiveness? </p>
<p>“Do you know why I took you in?” Sojiro continued.</p>
<p>“Principal Nezu just said you owed him a favour. I didn’t ask why; I thought it’d be rude after you had already done so much by accepting to take care of me.”</p>
<p>“Well, I might tell you that story one day, but the reason I accepted to take you in is because I know what it’s like. Having to take on the world by yourself, especially for someone as young as you. When you’ve been dealt a bad hand and you feel you’ve lost everything, what you need the most is someone to guide you through the tunnel.”</p>
<p>Ren tried his hardest to hold back a tear, but not a sad one. He was taken by surprise by Sojiro’s ability for profoundness. In that moment he realised that LeBlanc felt like home, and that Sojiro might be the closest thing he had to a father. “Thank you, boss; that really does help. It’s just that for the first time in a long time I thought I’d found somewhere I could belong, but I guess I should’ve known better. ”</p>
<p>“What about your friends? What did Izuku say?”</p>
<p>“We didn’t really get the chance to talk, but I’m not sure he’s still interested in being my friend.”</p>
<p>“That’s nonsense, kid. I’ve known Izuku since he was little, and I can tell you he’s not the kind of boy that abandons his friends. In fact, knowing him, he’s probably worried about you right know; wondering how you’re taking all this revelation business.”</p>
<p>Ren frowned. That was true, Izuku was friendly towards him since the beginning, and he had never given him any reason to doubt him. He had even defended Joker’s actions in front of the class before even knowing his secret identity. All of this and yet Ren didn’t even give him the benefit of the doubt. This only made him feel even more guilty.</p>
<p>Sojiro cleared Ren’s plate and threw the rag at his face to snap him out of it. “That’s it. You’re going to take the rest of the day off, you’re going to call Izuku, and you’re going to spend your free day with a friend like a normal teenager. I won’t take no for an answer.” He said as he walked to the kitchen.</p>
<p>Ren felt the grip of anxiety in his chest. The truth was, he really wanted to speak with Izuku again, but he wasn’t sure what to say. He took out his phone and stared at it blankly for a long while.</p>
<p>He finally gathered the courage to send a text message.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>RA: Hey, Izuku. Are you free? Do you maybe want to get some coffee at LeBlanc? It’s on me.</p>
</blockquote><p><em>“That’s good enough, right? Short and to the point, doesn’t sound too clingy... Wait, does it sound too cold? Perhaps I should have added an emoji… no, I needed to stop overthinking!” </em>He thought.</p>
<p>He left his phone to the side and with no customers in sight, he focused on tidying around the café.</p>
<p>Ten minutes passed and Ren checked his phone. No response yet.</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s ok, he might just be busy right now. Give him time.”</em>
</p>
<p>He tried to keep himself from constantly checking his phone. He decided to continue reading the ‘The Great Thief’ in the meantime. Another half hour passed, six more chapters read and still no response from Izuku. Just as Ren’s imagination was starting to stray into worst case scenarios, his phone buzzed.</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>RA: Hey, Izuku. Are you free? Do you maybe want to get some coffee at LeBlanc? It’s on me.</p>
  <p>IM: Sorry for taking so long. We’re on our way!</p>
</blockquote><p>
  <em>“Oh, thank god! Wait a second… ‘we’?”</em>
</p>
<p>Ren hadn’t even finished his thought when the chime of LeBlanc’s door opening rang. A familiar head of green hair entered the café, though it was not alone.  </p>
<p>“Good afternoon, Mr. Sakura. Is Ren— oh Ren, there you are!” Izuku said. “I brought some company along, I hope you don’t mind.”</p>
<p>Sure enough, he had four of their classmates in tow. Toru, Jiro, Uraraka, and Tokoyami entered the café right after Izuku and looked around in admiration at the establishment.</p>
<p>“Ah, what a nice smell!” Uraraka said.</p>
<p>“Oh my god, this place is so cool! It’s like, old-fashioned but also very charming.” Toru said.</p>
<p>“People refer to that as ‘retro’.” Jiro added.</p>
<p>“Hey, Izuku. It’s nice to see you.” Sojiro said. “Who are they?”</p>
<p>“Hi! My name is Toru Hagakure. We’re Ren’s friends from school.”</p>
<p>“Three girls? Damn, kid’s got moves...” Sojiro muttered to himself. “I must thank you all for keeping an eye on him at school.”</p>
<p>“Oh, it’s not a problem at all. He’s been really great, and he helped us out a lot yesterday.”</p>
<p>“Is that so? Then why don’t you sit down? Have a cup of coffee on the house.” The barista turned to his apprentice. “You’re helping though”</p>
<p>The 5 teenagers took seat in one of the booths; Toru and Jiro on one side, Uraraka and Izuku on the other, Tokoyami appended a stool from the bar to the edge of the table. With Ren’s help, Sojiro started brewing a fresh batch of coffee. Then, his phone started ringing. He picked it up and greeted.</p>
<p>“Hey, what’s up?... Huh? It’s not right? ...Not cute? That was the one the staff recommended to me though… Won’t that printer do? Huh? It’ll do, but it’s not it? ...OK, I’ll be right over.”</p>
<p>Sojiro hung up and let out a defeated sigh. “This might take a while… I’m leaving the store to you. Lock up for me if I don’t come back.” He said to Ren.</p>
<p>Ren nodded and took over behind the bar. “Sure thing, Boss.”</p>
<p>Shortly after Sojiro left, the coffee was finally ready and Ren started serving his friends. The group had yet to speak; he knew the reason for the awkward silence, but he did not know how to approach the subject. He decided to start by asking the question in his mind.</p>
<p>“What are you all doing here?” He said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy that you came; I just wasn’t expecting it.”</p>
<p>Izuku nervously scratched the back of his head. “Uraraka told me what happened yesterday after I left… I figured you must have felt really lonely, so I messaged them; I figured you needed to remember that you still have people in your corner.” Izuku said, his expression then turned more dejected. “I’m so sorry, Ren. For not being there to defend you, for not reaching out afterwards. I should’ve called you right after I got home. I’m such a terrible friend…”</p>
<p>Ren put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “That’s not true, Izuku. The fact that you’re ‘m here now proves it. Thank you; thank you all for being here.”</p>
<p>Toru beamed from her seat. “It’s the least we could do Ren, you’re our friend! We will always be here for you, especially after what we went through together.”</p>
<p>“That’s right. Most people in our class are actually on your side, it’s just that the truth about your identity came as a shock to us all. I’m sure the rest will come around eventually.” Uraraka said.</p>
<p>Ren regarded her words. It was probably true that not everyone took the news so badly, but he had a particular person in mind.</p>
<p>“Has… has any of you spoken with Yaoyorozu?” He said shyly.</p>
<p>Jiro frowned; her eyes downcast as she spoke. “I, uh… I asked her if she wanted to come here too, but she said she was unavailable…”</p>
<p>Ren failed to conceal his disillusionment. He had come to really appreciate Momo Yaoyorozu as a friend. Through their battle trial, chess match and even the USJ incident, they had grown closer than he originally expected, and he was left wanting to get to know her better. He lamented himself for having screwed up that friendship, potentially irreversibly so.</p>
<p>“I’m sure she would’ve liked to be here. I know you two are also friends. It’s not like she’s avoiding you… I hope“ Jiro said, the last part under her breath.</p>
<p>“Yeah, it’s not like Ida and Todoroki. Honestly, they were so rude yesterday! What they said was totally uncalled for.” Toru said.</p>
<p>“I can’t really blame them for feeling that way, though.” “I probably should’ve come clean from the beginning; maybe if I explain to them why I became Joker then they’d—”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>They all shifted their eyes to Tokoyami, who had been silent up until now. His voice had a surprisingly serous tone.</p>
<p>He turned to look Ren directly in the eyes. “You don’t owe anyone an explanation. I’m sure you must have had a good reason to turn to Vigilantism, but none of that should matter. You have proven to us what kind of person you are; you’re not a criminal, and certainly not bad guy. You saved my life, and for that I will be forever grateful. I don’t care whether you are Joker or not. To me, Amamiya, you are a Hero.”</p>
<p>Ren was speechless at his friend’s heartfelt speech. He could only respond with his most sincere smile.</p>
<p>“Hell yeah! Don’t let anyone get you down, Amamiya. You’re like the coolest guy I know.” Jiro said with her fist pumped “Honestly, we should’ve figured out you were Joker way sooner; You’re so much better than anyone in our class.”</p>
<p>“Indeed.” Tokoyami nodded. “I hope you are still willing to train me in hand-to-hand combat.”</p>
<p>Toru hurriedly put her hands on the table. “Wait a second, you’re giving Tokoyami fighting lessons?!... Ren, do you think you could teach me how to fight too? My quirk is not really the best at combat…”</p>
<p>“Ooh me too, me too! I guess I can float Villains, but I’m pretty much useless if I get into a real fight.” Uraraka chimed in.</p>
<p>“Getting to learn from one of the most accomplished Vigilantes in Japan? That would certainly be an incredible opportunity!” Izuku put a hand to his chin, adopted a pensive look and started muttering to himself. “Even though he has a formidable quirk, Ren is also quite skilled in hand-to-hand combat. His form is somewhat unpolished, but he makes up in agility. His style is reminiscent of…”</p>
<p>Ren intervened before Izuku could go into another one of his long-winded rants.</p>
<p>“Sure, I could teach you all some tricks.”</p>
<p>“Awesome.” Jiro said. “By the way, this coffee was really good! Could I get another one?”</p>
<p>“Also, is that curry I smell? I need to try some of that.” Uraraka added.</p>
<p>“Coming right up.” Ren said as he stood to fulfil the order.</p>
<p>Ren finally felt at ease. He hadn’t forgot about the events from yesterday, but his friends made everything more bearable. Things might not always be easy, but he knew that he didn’t have to take on the world alone anymore.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello again!</p>
<p>Bit of a slower one this time. Right now we're mainly setting things up for the next arc. Really looking forward to that one. </p>
<p>Some new faces introduced this chapter as well. Some of you might already be familiar with them ;)</p>
<p>Sojiro's best dad, as usual.</p>
<p>Not much more to say. This chapter was short but sweet. Till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sae Nijima, Naomasa Tsukauchi, and various staff members of U.A. High School gathered in the conference room to discuss the Villain attack on the USJ. The PSC taskforce had been tracking the League of Villain’s activities for months, but their investigation had yet to yield many results. The only useful information they had was the names of their leader and second-in-command, Tomura Shigaraki and Kurogiri. The police swept every government database to find anyone any match registered under those identities with their respective quirks, but the search was not fruitful, which meant they either used aliases or they were living completely off the grid. Nevertheless, a criminal group with the resources to hire an army of Villains and create the Nomu must have had a powerful individual (or potentially group) backing them.</p><p>“I see…” Principal Nezu said as the briefing sunk in. “So what is the next step, madame prosecutor?”</p><p>“The police will finalise the investigation on school grounds. In the meantime, you need to prepare for the incoming PR storm and damage control. U.A. is going to be under a microscope from now on. People will want someone to blame for letting the Villains sneak it, even if it was just sheer incompetence.” Sae responded while looking at Eraserhead, making no attempt whatsoever at disguising her disdain.</p><p>“The papers will eat this right up; I can already see the headlines–‘U.A. Under Attack: Are our children safe?’–Parents won’t be happy...”</p><p>“That’s not all.” All-Might said. “One of the villains recognised young Amamiya as Joker in front of the whole class. I doubt that the students will go around telling everyone about it, but we can’t count on the Villains to keep their mouth shut. It’s only a matter of time before it reaches the media.”</p><p>“That is serious. If Amamiya’s identity gets out, it will severely affect the perception of our school to the public.”</p><p>Sae let out a singular dry, sarcastic laugh. “What did you expect when you insist on admitting a wanted criminal into your institution. If you had done the right thing and let me prosecute him like I intended, then you wouldn’t be in this situation.”</p><p>“That’s enough!” Eraserhead stood from his seat, drawing the eyes of everyone in the room.</p><p>“You can attack me all you want, mock my incompetence or whatever, but I won’t let you bad-mouth one of my students. You are still bitter because you missed out on a point for your prosecutor scoreboard; because that’s all you care about, isn’t it? I thought the goal of the justice system supposed to be rehabilitation. How is that possible without second chances? You’ve read Amamiya’s file, you know what he’s been through and you still wanted to lock him up for the rest of his life. Would that have been the right thing? Is that really justice to you? He’s not just another one of the low-life criminals you’ve convicted; he’s a good kid that is already trying to make amends. It has nothing to do with you Miss Prosecutor, get over your bruised ego.”</p><p>Sae and Eraserhead stared daggers at each other while Tsukauchi and the other teachers exchanged awkward glances, too afraid to even draw breath.</p><p>“You’re right.”</p><p>Sae finally spoke after what seemed like an eternity. She looked away, her face showed an emotion a less knowledgeable person might have mistaken for shame. “Regardless of my personal feelings, what’s done is done. Amamiya has already been processed and sentenced, and is now currently paying his debt back to society. It is not right for me to blame him for that.” She said. Her usual intensity returned to her face immediately after. “But make no mistake, the minute Amamiya breaks one single rule, steps out of line one single centimetre, anything that leads me to believe he is anything but the most exemplar student, I’ll have him back in handcuffs faster than you can blink.” She said while poking the chest of class 1-A’s homeroom teacher with her finger.</p><p>When the heat of the moment died down, Sae realised that during the argument she had unwittingly closed the distance between her and Eraserhead. She decided to deescalate the situation.</p><p>“I’m afraid this is the end of this meeting; I have places to be. Tsukauchi, let’s go.” She said as she started to walk away.</p><p>Tsukauchi followed her steps. “Yes, Miss Nijima. Good day, Principal. We’ll keep you updated about any developments on the case.”</p><p>When she reached the door, Sae stopped for a second and turned around to look at Eraserhead again. “I’ll take care of the press and the parents, you take care of your students; they need you now more than ever.”</p><p>And with those final words, the two investigators finally departed the school. Present Mic nudged his best friend on the side.</p><p>“Geez, that woman sure is ferocious… but damn if she isn’t a bombshell. Might even be worth risking your life trying to tame that tiger.”</p><p>Eraserhead chuckled slightly. “I pity the poor bastard that ends up with her. She’ll probably bite his head off.”</p><p>“You’re one to talk; you can also bite just as much as you can bark, my friend. That was a roast worthy of Lunch Rush himself!”</p><p>Eraserhead pondered over his argument with Sae, especially her reaction. He didn’t expect her to be so… <em>civil</em>, and she seemed genuinely sorry for the way she spoke about Ren. Had he misjudged her? Maybe he had been too harsh… although she did threaten to arrest Ren if he was anything less than perfect... He couldn’t decipher her, but he did know she had raised a good point.</p><p>“She’s not wrong, though.” He said. “I need to be there for my students. A Villain attack during their very first week of high school, it must have been a very traumatic experience. I can’t even imagine the anguish they are going through…”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Oh man, the USJ incident was awesome! Did you see the news? Everyone is talking about us!” Kirishima exclaimed.</p><p>“I know, right? we’re basically celebrities.” Kaminari added.</p><p>In the few days since the USJ incident, the media had already provided thorough coverage of the story. Few were the events that could completely stop the presses around the nation, and a Villain attack on U.A. High School was very high up on that list. TV crews and reporters jumped at the opportunity of an up-close interview with the kids that narrowly survived the attack, granting the students of class 1-A their very own 15 minutes of fame.</p><p>“Please, get over yourselves. People only care because the most prestigious Hero school in the world was attacked by Villains. Besides, the news are mainly just talking about one of us…” Jiro said.</p><p>Their gaze drifted towards the corner of the room, where Ren had his face buried in his desk.</p><p>Just as All-Might had predicted, reports that the infamous Joker was now a student at U.A. High School spread like wildfire, shoving Ren into the spotlight against his will. Once the initial shock of the USJ incident had passes, the Joker news took over the public eye. His name plastered on every front page and in the mouths of every news anchor. The story was generating controversy to unprecedented heights; supporters and critics alike crawled out of the woodwork to give their two cents on the matter. Some parents threatened to pull their kids from U.A. if Ren wasn’t immediately expelled, while others commended the push for reintegration.</p><p>The unwelcomed attention was getting too much for Ren. He focused on the cold surface of the desk against his forehead, trying to forget about the journalists that were pestering him for a comment, and all the conspicuous whispers that surrounded him on his route to class that morning. In that moment, he felt incredibly envious of Toru’s invisibility. Luckily, he was saved from his own racing thoughts by the sound of the classroom door opening.</p><p>“Morning, class.” Mr. Aizawa said as he walked in.</p><p>The class returned the greeting in unison.</p><p>“I’m glad to see you all in high spirits. I’m sure you all must still feel a bit shaken by last week’s events, but you cannot let your resolve waver, now more than ever, because you’re about to face your biggest challenge yet… The U.A. Sports Festival.”</p><p>The teacher’s announcement received a mixed reaction from the students.</p><p>“But Mr. Aizawa, are you sure it’s a good idea to hold the Sports Festival so soon after the USJ incident?”<br/>
“That’s right. We’re all going to be gathered in one place. Isn’t that the best opportunity for the Villains to come back looking for a rematch?”</p><p>“The school administration believes this is the best way to show the world that the threat has been taken care off and we’re now safer than ever. They are going to be increasing security measures to let the event go on without any setbacks.” The teacher explained. “Besides, the Sports Festival is way too important to cancel. It’s not merely a friendly exhibition for the sake of sport; The U.A. Sports Festival is one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year, with viewership numbers that dwarfs those of the Olympics. It is the opportunity for U.A. students to make themselves known to the world. There are going to be scouts from the biggest agencies in the country looking for potential new recruits. If you want to make it as a pro Hero, a good performance at the Sports Festival can open a path for you.”</p><p>Mr. Aizawa successfully ignited the flames of competition in his students, all of whom where now determined to do their best at the festival.</p><p>Eventually, the clock struck half past twelve and the bell rung, indicating the start of the lunch break. Izuku invited Ren to have lunch together, but he knew that he’d probably be joined by Uraraka and Ida, the latter of whom Ren was still not on speaking terms with. Not wanting to make things awkward between them, he politely declined the invitation. He picked up his bag and prepared for having lunch alone again in the school’s rooftop.</p><p>“Come have lunch with us, Ren!”</p><p>He heard the voice of Toru call his name, she was joined by Jiro and Tokoyami. He couldn’t help but smile, once more reassured that he had friends that would stick with him through this.</p><p>“I’d love to.” He said.</p><p>Toru cheered and wrapped her arms around his elbow. “Awesome! Let’s go to the cafeteria.”</p><p>The four of them arrived at the cafeteria and grabbed a table by the corner of the room. Tokoyami offered to use Dark Shadow to fetch their food, Ren sent Arsène along to aid him. The pair of Quirk-borne entities brought the quartet’s meals, who then fell into comfortable conversation.</p><p>“…so then I basically just took off my clothes and snuck around. I used the built-in kill switch to power off the robots, which still counted for the score.”</p><p>“Woah, that’s very clever. No offence Toru, but I always wondered how you were able to pass the entrance exam. I had a really hard time against those robots.” Jiro said.</p><p>“None taken, the exam was certainly not favoured for certain Quirks. It must have been quite easy with a Quirk like yours, Ren.”</p><p>Ren shrugged. “It probably would have been, but I don’t know. I didn’t do the entrance exam, I got in with a recommendation.”</p><p>“Oh, that makes sense. Especially since you are already had so much experience.” Toru said.</p><p>“Yeah, all the recommended students are so far ahead of everyone else.”</p><p>“Were there many recommended students this year?” Ren asked</p><p>“Well, there are a couple in other classes. In our class there was you of course, and there was Momo as well.”</p><p>“I’m not surprised, she’s brilliant.” He said almost instinctively.</p><p>“So you like them smart, huh?” Jiro asked with a suggestive smile.</p><p>The question caught Ren off-guard as he was eating, he started to choke on his rice.</p><p>“Todoroki also got in through recommendation, didn’t he?”<br/>
“Well, that’s to be expected. He’s probably been training his whole life to become a pro Hero; he’s Endeavour’s son, after all.”</p><p>Ren finally cleared his throat in time to listen to that last bit.</p><p>“What? Todoroki is Endeavour’s son?” He asked.</p><p>“Yeah, you didn’t know? I thought it was pretty obvious.</p><p>Toru gasped. “Kyoka, you can’t just assume two people with fire Quirks are related. That’s inappropriate!”.</p><p>“They have the same family name!”</p><p>Ren tuned out the conversation. As it turns out, Endeavour was Todoroki’s father. Jiro was right, it was quite obvious. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t realised it sooner. He frowned as he remembered the last time he had met Endeavour, and then recalled the harsh words Todoroki said to him after the USJ incident.</p><p>
  <em>“Yeah, I can see the resemblance. Not only physically…”</em>
</p><p>“Well, well, well… if it isn’t more class 1-A riff-raff.”</p><p>Their lunch was interrupted by the uninvited arrival of a boy with slick blond hair. His face bore a smile, but the intent in his eyes was far from pleasant.</p><p>“Enjoying your lunch, huh? That’s right, just keep enjoying your meals as if nothing ever happened.”</p><p>The four of them looked at each other with utter confusion.</p><p>“Umm… do we know you?” Jiro asked.</p><p>“Of course a group of self-absorbed narcissists wouldn’t recognise someone from a different class. You are too preoccupied with the media feeding your egos to do anything by yourselves. Honestly, you’re lucky the pros got there in time to save you. If class 1-B had been in your shoes, we would’ve taken care of the Villains without help.”</p><p>The boy continued monologuing, his smile becoming increasingly deranged.</p><p>“Well, I guess you already had a pro with you… isn’t that right, <em>Joker</em>?” He said while looking directly at Ren, who shied away at the mention of his former alter ego. “You’re not much of a talker, are you? Funny, considering how much people are talking about you. You must be loving it; isn’t that the reason you became a vigilante? As a desperate cry for attention? The USJ incident sure has made you the talk of the town, Joker. Isn’t that just <em>so</em> convenient…”</p><p>Tokoyami stood up from his seat and took a step towards the boy. “I suggest you choose your next words very carefully…” Despite being much shorter, his subtly menacing tone was enough to intimidate the stranger, who backed away slowly.</p><p>“Hey, there’s no need to get aggressive. I’m just saying, isn’t it curious how the Villains just so happened to sneak in while <em>your </em>class was having rescue training? I wonder why… Maybe you decided to invite some of your fellow criminals to–”</p><p>“Shut up, Monoma!”</p><p> A redheaded girl snuck behind the blond boy and hit the back of his head with a karate chop. Monoma dropped to the floor, holding his head and wincing in pain.</p><p>“Please ignore him; his mouth moves faster than his brain.” The newcomer said. “I’m Itsuka Kendo, representative of Class 1-B. I’m very sorry for my classmate’s behaviour, I hope you don’t think ill of our class because of it.”</p><p>The girl bowed deeply as an apology.</p><p>“Kendo! What the hell are you doing? They are the enemy! You can’t–”</p><p>Kendo struck him again before he could finish his sentence. “I told you to shut up! Seriously, how many times do I have to hit you before you learn…” She said as she dragged him away by his ear.</p><p>“What a weirdo…”</p><p>“Totally, how could he say something like that?” Toru said. They all noticed the uneasiness in Ren’s face. “Are you okay, Ren?”</p><p>Monoma’s scene had caught the room’s attention; from the corner of his eye, he could see everyone around them staring. A sinking feeling took over his stomach. He needed to get out of there, but he felt bad for abandoning his friends. He quickly cobbled together an excuse to make his escape.</p><p>“I’m okay, don’t worry. I actually just remembered I had been meaning to check out the school’s library to look for a new book. I think I’ll head over now before the break is over.”</p><p>“Are you sure you’re okay? We can go with you if you want.”</p><p>“No, it’s fine. Enjoy the rest of your lunch, see you in class.”</p><p>Ren knew his act was far from convincing, but he did not stay long enough for further questions. He hurried out of the cafeteria, on route to the school library. At least he didn’t lie, he had actually recently finished <em>‘The Great Thief’</em> and had been wanting to pick up something new to read; the school library sounded like the best place to find a new book, and hopefully take solace in its silence.</p><p>The size of U.A’s library was proportional to its status, so Ren had no problem finding a free seat in a secluded table. He left his bag to reserve the spot and directly went to the shelves in the back to seek an interesting read. He browsed the different sections; After a scanning the shelves for a few minutes, in the Western Literature section he came across an eye-catching title, <em>‘Woman in the Dark’</em> . He grabbed the book and quickly skimmed the back-cover, it seemed compelling enough. Satisfied with his finding, he returned to his table and dove straight into the first chapter.</p><p>He hadn’t even finished reading the second page when the whispers started again.</p><p>“Psst. Isn’t that the Joker guy over there?”</p><p>“Are you sure? He looks a bit too nerdy to be a hardened criminal”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s him. I still can’t believe they just let him attend classes with the rest of us. Who knows what he’s capable of?”</p><p>Ren didn’t have to use his Third Eye to register the conversation taking place a couple tables over. He closed the book and took a deep breath; it seemed there was no escaping the rumour mill, not even in the library. Franky, he wasn't as irked by the gossiping as much as the complete disrespect for the sanctity of the ‘no talking in the library’ rule, but there was no point in making a scene. He picked up his belongings and walked to the counter to check out the book; he could continue reading that night at LeBlanc without any interruptions.</p><p>He reached the counter and noticed there was no one on the other side. He looked around, but there didn’t appear to be any library staff present. He tapped his fingers against the wood as he debated whether he should wait for someone to arrive. That’s when he heard a high-pitch voice.</p><p>“Good afternoon, Amamiya. How may I help you?”<br/>
Ren leaned over the counter and was met with the unexpected sight of principal Nezu.</p><p>“Mr. Principal?!” Ren asked. “Uh… what are you doing here?”</p><p>“Why, I’m tending to the library. Isn’t that obvious?”</p><p>The principal’s deadpan delivery made Ren question his sanity for a second. “Are you… the school’s librarian?”</p><p>“Only temporarily.” Nezu replied. “The old librarian retired recently, and since my duties as principal are mostly administrative, I’ve offered to cover the position until a replacement is found.”</p><p>“Well, that’s nice I guess…”</p><p>“Oh, not at all. I actually hate this job with fervour.” The talking rodent said. “All the shelves are too high for me to reach, restocking the books is quite the hassle. Have I told you how boring it is too? there’s not even a single manga in this whole library!”</p><p>“That’s, uh… unfortunate.”</p><p>“Indeed. We’ve been having some troubles finding the right candidate to fill in the librarian position. Given U.A.’s prestige, we can’t just take anyone off the street. There’s not much we can do for now, in the meantime I’m happy to help.” He said. “I presume you want to check out this book; here, let me get it for you.”<br/>
Nezu had a look at the book and started filling the check-out form on the computer. Ren watched him work, mesmerised. Seeing the principal typing away with his little paws was staggeringly adorable.</p><p>While he waited for the principal to finish, Ren felt a poke on his shoulder. Another wave of irritation started brewing in him; he turned around expecting to find another Monoma-like individual looking for a confrontation, but instead found a familiar head of fluffy, light auburn hair.</p><p>“Haru?” Ren asked, extending the feeling of surprise that had yet to leave him.</p><p>“Hi, Amamiya. I haven’t seen you much around school since we last met.”</p><p>“Yeah, I’ve been a bit busy...”</p><p>Awkward silence arose between them, Ren wasn’t quite sure of what to say. Lucky for him, Haru spoke first.</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Sorry for what?”</p><p>“I saw on the news what happened to your class at the USJ. That must have been very frightening.”</p><p>“Don’t worry. It was a bit, but no one was seriously hurt. Everything turned out fine in the end.”</p><p>“That’s a relief.” She said. She twiddled her thumbs nervously, as if planning on the best way to broach an uncomfortable topic. “Umm, there’s something else too… Would you mind going somewhere more private to talk?“</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Haru and Ren sat on a bench next to the courtyard behind the library. The area did not see many visitors during lunch break, it was an ideal place to talk in private. Ren observed his surroundings, he hadn’t been in that part of school before. He saw a small flower garden nearby. He leaned in to look a bit closer and spotted two small turtle-like machines going around the flowers. One appeared to be watering the plants, while the other was trimming the dead leaves and stems.</p><p>“Another one of your gadgets?” Ren asked</p><p>Haru shrugged. “After I was done with the roof, I thought other parts of the school could use a retouch too.” She said bashfully.</p><p>Ren was impressed by Haru’s invention, but he was even more impressed by her selflessness. She had created multiple incredible machines and gave them away with no ulterior motive, simply wanting to improve her school.</p><p>“So…” He said. “What did you want to talk about?”</p><p>“I just wanted to say that I have… I’ve heard the rumours going around about you…”</p><p>Ren flinched; he could imagine what Haru was about to say. And he couldn’t blame her, some of those rumours really painted an ugly picture of him. He braced himself for what was coming.</p><p>“And I’m sorry you find yourself in this situation. I know how hard it can be to be the subject of rumour and having people talking about you behind your back. Don’t let other people get you down.”</p><p>Ren did a double take, unsure whether he had heard her right. Not only was she not repulsed by him, but she was comforting him. He found it hard to understand how someone as kind and sweet as Haru could have people spreading malicious rumours about her. She had probably been through a lot on her own to sympathize with someone like him.</p><p>“It’s okay. I did feel hopeless at first, but thanks to my friends I have been able to carry on.” He said with a smile. “Friends like you, Haru.”</p><p>Haru tried to return the smile, but it just came out weakly. “To be honest, I really admire you, Amamiya. It must have taken a lot of courage to risk everything and follow your heart by becoming a Vigilante to help people.”</p><p>She sighed and stood up from the bench. She turned her back to Ren to stare blankly into the distance.</p><p>“You know, when I was little, I wanted to be a Hero…”</p><p>He was surprised by her confession. Haru didn’t seem like the Hero-fangirl type. “Really?”</p><p>“Yes. It’s a bit childish but I always thought that dedicating your life to helping others was the most noble thing one can do. Eventually I realised that with my Quirk it would be impossible for me to become a pro Hero. But even then, I didn’t want to give up on my dream. That’s why I started to learn how to make support items, hoping that one day I could use them to support Heroes and indirectly help people.” She said, the melancholy ringing loudly in each one of her words. “My grandfather was an engineer specialised in support items; not really anything Hero related, mainly lifestyle support items. He had a small workshop in town, where people would come in and share their issues. Then my grandfather would get working on a gadget that could help them. He never charged anyone a single cent; he was only interested in helping his community. I’d sometimes stay over at his workshop and watch him work. He’d tell me about the items he made and explain to me how they worked. After I showed interest in inventing, he started letting me help with minor tasks, and he taught me how to use the tools and workshop equipment.”</p><p>She sat back down on the bench and hugged her knees into her chest.</p><p>“After my grandfather passed away, I wanted to continue on his legacy by making support items of my own, but my father didn’t approve. He said that the trade was unbecoming of a girl like me. He forbade me from working with any sort of tech, and when I came of high-school age he made me enrol in U.A.’s business course. I really wanted to protest, to speak up against his orders, but I just couldn’t do it. I guess not everyone can be as brave as you…”</p><p>Haru finally faced Ren again, and what he saw almost broke his heart. Her characteristically cheery smile had been sequestered and replaced by a disconsolate frown, she seemed to be on the verge of tears. A girl like Haru didn’t deserve to ever feel this way, he needed to do something about it.</p><p>“But I’m not brave Haru. I’ve been afraid for so long, there were many times where I came close to giving up. The only reason I am still standing here is because of the people that have supported me through the hard times.” He said as he took her hand in his. “And now it’s my turn to support you.”</p><p>Haru was taken aback by the sudden contact, which proved enough to momentarily distract her sorrow.</p><p>“Haru, you should participate in the upcoming Sports Festival. Representatives from all the major support item companies will be there; Sigma, Detnerat, and even Okumura Corp. It’s the perfect opportunity to show off your inventions and let them know what you can do! You’re amazing, Haru. They’ll probably even offer you a transfer to the Support course.”</p><p>“My father would never approve…”</p><p>“You should invite your father to the festival as well. I’m sure when he sees how talented you are and how much it means to you, he will change his mind.”</p><p>Haru shook her head and let go of Ren’s hand.</p><p>“But I’m just a Business course student, how can I measure up against the students from the Hero course? or even those that are actually in the Support course? My Quirk is completely useless, I–”</p><p>Ren grabbed her by the shoulders to prevent her from losing it. “That doesn’t matter, Haru. You’ve got the heart of a Hero and the mind of a genius. I’m confident that you can devise an invention to leave them all in the dust.”</p><p>Haru finally eased her shoulders and Ren released her. She looked him right in the eyes and saw nothing but sincerity. She had met many people in her life who tried to use sweet-talk looking to gain something from her, but Ren didn’t care about any of that. He had known her for less than a week and he was comforting her just because he didn’t want her to feel sad. She felt joy, but it was tainted by bittersweetness; she tried to remember the last time her father had done anything like this for her.</p><p>“Thank you so much, Amamiya. I think you just told me things that had been on my mind for a long time. I just needed to hear them from someone who actually believed them.”</p><p>“It’s my pleasure. I’ll always believe in you, that’s what friends are for. And please, just Ren is fine; I already call you by your first name.” He said. “Now that I think about it, I don’t think I ever caught your family name…”</p><p>Haru quickly changed the subject. “Aright then, Ren. I’m looking forward to facing you at the Sports Festival.” She offered her hand at him.</p><p>“The feeling is mutual.” He accepted the handshake. It was then that the that another question popped into his head. “By the way… you never actually told me what your Quirk was.”</p><p>Haru started fidgeting nervously. “Uh, well…. It’s a nothing worth mentioning, really. It’s a bit silly…”</p><p>“Come on, you’re being too modest. Besides, you already know mine. I think it’s only fair you show me yours.”</p><p>After hesitating for a few seconds, she exhaled, which Ren took as a sign of acceptance.</p><p>“Could you turn on your phone’s flashlight?” She asked.</p><p>Ren pulled out his phone and did as she asked. Haru pointed her index finger at the light source, she flicked her finger, and the flashlight went out. She then turned around and pointed her finger at a nearby lamppost; she flicked her finger once more, and the lighting atop the pole shone brightly. She the repeated the motions in reverse order, returning the light to Ren’s phone.</p><p>Ren’s sight switched back and forth between the lamppost and his phone before finally stopping on Haru. “Wow, you can absorb and release light?” He said incredulously.</p><p>“I told you it was silly.”</p><p>“Not at all, Haru. It’s actually very cool.”</p><p>She took the compliment reluctantly and smiled. “I guess. It’s not as cool as summoning your own demonic minions, though.” She said jokingly.</p><p>He laughed. “That’s true, not everyone can be as cool as me.”</p><p>She giggled as well. “Maybe you should try being modest too.”</p><p>They kept on joking and laughing until the end of the break;  Haru’s sadness now merely a ghost of the past. Ren was happy he was able to do for someone else what his friends had done for him. Helping Haru through her distress also helped him cope with his own, and now he felt invigorated and eager to give it his all at the Sports Festival. He was beginning to think that the power of friendship wasn’t so ridiculous after all.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Finally new chapter! Sorry this one took so long, i've been busy with a pretty big school assignment. I'm going to post two chapters this week to make up for it though. </p><p>In other news, the Persona soundtrack has been added to Spotify at long last; my life is now complete. I wrote this whilst listening to 'When the Moon's Reaching Out Stars' on repeat.</p><p>A lot of people standing up for Ren lately... Not gonna lie, I love it.</p><p>This one turned out a bit angsty, but we need the angst to make the fluff even fluffier.</p><p>Hope you all like this chapter and are as excited as me to see Haru during the Sports Festival. Till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After class was over, Ren went to the faculty office to speak with Mr. Aizawa. He tried his best to sneak around the hallways in order to avoid the noxious whispers and judgmental eyes of the student body. He reached his destination and thanked a nonspecific deity when he found his homeroom teacher alone, doing some paperwork on his desk.</p>
<p>Ren walked up to Mr. Aizawa, who did not notice his presence thanks to the boy’s catlike footsteps. He cleared his throat to get his attention.</p>
<p>Eraserhead didn’t look up from his paperwork. “Oh, you’re still here.”</p>
<p>“Yes, I was actually looking for you. Seeing as how the Sports Festival is fast approaching, a couple of us wanted to train in preparation. We were wondering if we could use the school’s gym.”</p>
<p>“I applaud your dedication, but you are not the only ones with that idea. Any student is allowed to use U.A.’s facilities to train outside of school hours, you only need to submit a form. But precisely because the Sports Festival is upon us, all the gyms and P.E. grounds are fully booked up. You should’ve thought about it sooner.”</p>
<p>Ren frowned. Of course everyone at school would want to train hard to show off at the most anticipated sporting event of the year. He started brainstorming possible places to train when he noticed the teacher sliding a sheet across the table.</p>
<p>“Fill this in, I’ll see what I can do.”</p>
<p>Ren took the form in his hands and quickly examined it.</p>
<p>“Thank you very much, sir.”</p>
<p>“Don’t mention it.”</p>
<p>Ren started walking away, but Mr. Aizawa stopped him.</p>
<p>“Take a seat.” The teacher said, offering him the chair next to his.</p>
<p>Ren accepted the seat, intrigued by his teacher’s intentions. “What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>Eraserhead paused for a moment, trying to find the right words. “Are you… How are you holding up?”</p>
<p>“I’ve faced worse.” Ren said with a shrug.</p>
<p>“Don’t try to act tough, kid. I’ve heard the rumours, and I’ve seen how the other students are treating you.”</p>
<p>“I’m hanging in there, really.” He quickly replied. “It’s just that… I wish everyone was as openminded about me as you and principal Nezu.”</p>
<p>Eraserhead pushed his paperwork to the side and rotated his chair to sit face-to-face with Ren.</p>
<p>“I’m not going to sugar-coat this, things are going to suck for a while. There will be people that want to see you fail, people that think you don’t belong here…” He said. “I’d tell you to not let other people’s opinions get to you, but I know you are strong. You’ve been handling these past few days remarkably well, but if you just keep turning the other cheek then nothing will change. Remember, you are here to become a Hero, but you can’t be a Hero if people have no faith in you. That is why you have to change their minds, and you can’t do that with only words. At the Sports Festival, all eyes will be on you; this is your chance to prove them all wrong.”</p>
<p>The teacher put a hand on Ren’s shoulder and looked him firmly in the eyes.</p>
<p>“The competition will be fierce, but you’ve got something that no one else has. The other students are simply fighting for a chance to get noticed by Hero agencies; you are fighting for yourself, to leave your mark on the world. Go out there and show everyone that you’re going to be the best Hero of your generation.”</p>
<p>Ren felt a myriad of emotions in reaction to the speech. Inspiration by the encouraging words, surprise at Mr. Aizawa’s nurturing side, but above all, determination to not let down everyone that believed in him. He resisted the urge to hug his homeroom teacher, and instead opted for a simple nod.</p>
<p>“I promise I’ll prove everyone you were right to give me this chance.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p><br/>The first few rays of sunlight of the day washed over U.A. High School. Despite spring being in full swing, the early morning air blew gelid. Although there were not many to complain about the cold, for only a few people were present in the school at such an early hour.</p>
<p>“I can’t believe he made us get up so early…” Uraraka said.</p>
<p>“I didn’t even know trains started running this early.” Toru said.</p>
<p>Izuku tried to lift their spirits. “Cheer up, guys. Ren is doing us all a big favour by agreeing to train us. The least we can do I show some enthusiasm.”</p>
<p>The group consisting of Izuku, Uraraka, Jiro, Toru and Tokoyami met in front of the school gates. Ren had instructed them show up at 5:30 in the morning in their gym uniforms for their first training session.</p>
<p>“I’d be a lot more enthused after a full eight hours of sleep.” Toru said.</p>
<p>“No one forced you to stay up until 2 a.m. watching hidden-camera prank shows on TV.” Jiro remarked.</p>
<p>“Yeah... It was totally worth it though.” She replied. “Never mind, let’s just go in.”</p>
<p>They entered the school gates and made their way to the P.E. grounds; once there, they saw Ren standing next to the running track.</p>
<p>“There you all are! Ready for training?”</p>
<p>He was wearing a black bomber jacket over his gym uniform and aviator shades in place of his usual glasses, a metallic whistle hanged from his neck and he held a cup of coffee in his hand. His voice was way too lively for the usual night-owl that he was.</p>
<p>“Hey Ren! I can’t believe you’re so full of energy already.”</p>
<p>“Yeah… Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciate that you took the time to train us, but couldn’t we have done this at a more reasonable hour? I mean, they are still showing adult anime on TV.”</p>
<p>“Trust me, I don’t like it any more than you do, but this was the only free timeslot for us to use the school’s facilities.” Ren chugged the last of his coffee and discarded the cup. “Alright, less crying and more sweating. First thing’s first, let’s do some warm-up and stretching to prepare. Put your hands to your hips and repeat after me, one… two…”</p>
<p>Ren guided his new pupils through a rudimentary warm-up routine, who placidly followed his instruction. After the warm-up was done, their friend/coach blowed his whistle to get everyone’s attention and signalled them to take position in the running track.</p>
<p>“We’re going to start by running 10.”</p>
<p>“10 minutes? That’s not too bad.”</p>
<p>“No.” Ren said. “10 <em>kilometres</em>.”</p>
<p>“What?! You surely can’t be expecting us to–”</p>
<p>“Ready, set, go!” Ren quickly blurted before blowing his whistle. He then immediately took off running. Izuku followed him shortly after without skipping a beat, the rest of the students behind him. Ren had already completed his run after 30 minutes, while it took the others nearly an hour to finish. Afterwards, the group was visibly exhausted; a couple of them panted heavily, others dropped to the ground to catch a breath.</p>
<p>Ren applauded the effort of the group. He pulled a thermos and a few plastic cups from his bag and started handing out fresh LeBlanc coffee. “Nicely done, young grasshoppers. Not bad at all. Remember, the key to a good training regime is consistency. I might have started a bit too strong, we should probably roll back to 5 kilometres and slowly build up until you can run 10 daily.”</p>
<p>Toru did a spit-take with her coffee. “You run 10 kilometres every day?!”</p>
<p>“Of course not. Some days I do 20.”</p>
<p>“I regret every decision that has led me to this point…”</p>
<p>They took a short break to rehydrate before resuming their work-out. Ren once again lead them in a series of exercises encompassing crunches, squats, push-ups, etc. After another break, they finally headed to the inside of the gym to start the actual combat training they all came for. Inside, the group lined-up and Ren took off his jacket and sunglasses to address them.</p>
<p>“I’ll preface by saying that I am not in any way a trained expert of martial arts. Everything I know I’ve learned by force, and I don’t mean that figuratively. I’m going to teach you the techniques I’ve developed while fighting for my life in the streets. I must warn you, this fighting style will not win you any exhibition matches; it’s violent and it’s dirty, but when winning an encounter is literally a matter of life and death, words like fairness and sportsmanship mean absolutely nothing.” Ren said in a sobering tone.</p>
<p>His pupils looked at him with impervious determination. They were not dissuaded by the warning. Instead, they were inspired with respect for Ren and the combat knowledge they were about to receive. Ren smiled with satisfaction.</p>
<p>“We’re going to pair up for this exercise.” The instructor said. “Tokoyami, you’re with me; Toru, you’re with Jiro, and Izuku, you go with Uraraka.”</p>
<p>Tokoyami walked up front to stand with to Ren. Toru and Jiro positioned next to each other; Izuku just blinked twice and stood by, staring blankly at his new partner as if he was unable to understand Ren’s directions.</p>
<p>“Deku?” Uraraka asked with a tinge of worry in her face.</p>
<p>“Oh, s-sorry! I just got kinda distracted there.”</p>
<p>“With a quirk like mine, long-range combat is highly favoured over close quarters confrontations. But every now and then there is an opponent that manages to close the gap and get up close.” He explained. “Ideally, you would do something to create some distance between you and your opponent, but that can be difficult if they insist on sticking to you. In those cases, you can use the close distance against them.”</p>
<p>“I’m going to teach you a basic hip throw to swiftly take down an opponent that comes in too close. The trick is to take an initial step with your dominant foot and quickly pivot on it. Then, you wrap your arm around your opponent’s waist and you use the momentum to throw them off-balance and propel them over your hip. Like this…”</p>
<p>Ren quickly performed a perfect hip-throw on Tokoyami, dropping him softly on the matted gym floor before helping him back up again.</p>
<p>Izuku raised his and to ask a question. “Wait, Ren. You mean we have to–”</p>
<p>“Now try it yourselves with your partner.” He said, ignoring him.</p>
<p>The pairs proceeded to try their hand at the technique. Uraraka turned to Izuku.</p>
<p>“You can go first, Deku.” She said.</p>
<p>“O-okay.”</p>
<p>She pulled him in unexpectedly close. Izuku faced away instinctively; he could smell her shampoo from that distance.</p>
<p>“Now you have to take a step and put your arm around my waist.”</p>
<p>“R-right!”</p>
<p>He slowly slithered his arm around her, painfully aware of the physical contact; heat started to rise to his face.</p>
<p>Izuku attempted the hip throw, but he was so distracted by his direct proximity to Uraraka that he ended up tripping on his own foot, falling with his back against the floor and pulling his partner on top of him in the process.</p>
<p>“Oh my god! I’m so sorry, are you okay?”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, your body actually broke my fall. Are you okay, though?” She asked while still lying atop him.</p>
<p>The boy did not respond right away; his train of thought had been completely derailed. He could not focus on anything other than the warmth and smell she irradiated.</p>
<p>“I’ve never been better… I-I mean, totally! Perfectly fine!”</p>
<p>The pair stood back up while the rest of their friends stifled giggles.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry Izuku, you’ll get it eventually. Keep trying as many times as you need…” Ren said.</p>
<p>Izuku could have sworn Ren gave him a lighting fast wink before returning to his solemn coaching face.</p>
<p>They training carried on, and after a couple more attempts, the five of them were able to do a half-decent hip throw.</p>
<p>“Excellent work today, young grasshoppers. Keep this up and you’ll be Vigilante material in no time!” Ren said. “Now let’s hit the showers and get ready for class.”</p>
<p>The three boys and three girls left the gym and parted ways to head to their respective changing rooms. After a short shower, Ren, Izuku, and Tokoyami started changing into their regular school uniforms. Remembering the interaction between his friend and Uraraka, a mischievous smile appeared on Ren’s face. It was the perfect time for ‘boy talk’</p>
<p>“So…” He started. “We really lucked out, didn’t we? The girls in our class are all very pretty.”</p>
<p>“Well, I can’t say for sure because I am not able to see Hagakure, but I suppose you are right.” Tokoyami said.</p>
<p>“Anyone in particular caught your attention?”</p>
<p>“I hold no such interest.“</p>
<p>As Tokoyami was buttoning his shirt, Dark Shadow emerged from him.</p>
<p>“Fumikage thinks Asui is very cute~” The shadow monster said.</p>
<p>“Silence! Get back in here, you insolent creature!” Tokoyami said as he hurriedly pushed Dark Shadow back into himself.</p>
<p>“Asui, huh? She’s certainly cute, and also very sweet; I can see why you’re into her.” Ren said, causing Tokoyami to blush. ”What about you Izuku?”</p>
<p>“Umm… w-well, there’s a girl…” Izuku trailed off</p>
<p>“Ooh, a girl~? I wonder who it might be…” He said in an exaggerated sing-song voice. “Does she happen to have brown hair, perpetually rosy cheeks, and the ability to bend the laws of physics?”</p>
<p>Izuku’s eyes widened. “Wha– how did you know?!” he asked. “Wait a second… did you pair us on purpose?”</p>
<p>“No comment.” Ren replied “And please, you aren’t exactly subtle about it.”</p>
<p>“Do you think she knows?”</p>
<p>“I doubt it.”</p>
<p>“Ugh, I’m really out of my element here, Ren. What should I do?”</p>
<p>“Well, what do you want to do?” He replied. “What is your goal here?”</p>
<p>“I’m not exactly sure myself… I guess for now I would like to get to know her better; get a bit closer to her.”</p>
<p>“Closer than having her pressed on top of you?”</p>
<p>Izuku threw a towel at Ren in retaliation for his cheekiness, but he dodged it effortlessly.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, Izuku. Just take it slow and be yourself. She obviously likes you as a friend. Keep at it and see if there is room there for more than friendship.”</p>
<p>“Thanks a lot, Ren. You really know a lot about this stuff.”</p>
<p>“Anytime. You too, Tokoyami. Just say the word and I’ll be your wingman with Asui, no pun intended.” Ren said. He finished donning his blazer and started walking to the exit. “We should hurry, class will be starting soon.”</p>
<p>Izuku got up to block his path. “Not so fast, Ren. Now it’s your turn! Tell us, do you like someone from our class?”</p>
<p>The question stopped Ren right on his tracks. The first thing that came to his head was the flashing image of a certain ponytailed tall girl. Her laugh at his jokes, her intensity during their chess match, her eyes when she returned his coat… and her disappointment in him after the USJ incident, when she couldn’t even look at him. He felt his chest tighten and his shoulder tense; with the numbness from that day gone, he could now feel the full extent of the pain of rejection without attenuation. He stood motionless in place for a few seconds; he didn’t turn around before he spoke.</p>
<p>“No… not really.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p><br/>That night, Ren collapsed into bed without even changing into his nightwear. The training of that morning wasn’t anything new for him He wasn’t particularly tired; Not physically at least… The rumours around school and hostility from other students persisted, and it was getting increasingly harder to ignore. The Sports Festival couldn’t come soon enough. He was dying to finally show the world just exactly what Joker was capable of.</p>
<p>He took off his glasses, closed his eyes, and slowly drifted into a deep slumber…</p>
<p>“Welcome back, trickster.”</p>
<p>Ren stood upright in his bed and saw a blue butterfly once more fluttering about.</p>
<p>“Marvellous!” The voice in his head echoed again. “You have been creating and strengthening new relationships. The effect on your power is already noticeable; it is now greater than ever! Keep nurturing your bonds, trickster–and one day you may be able to unlock your hidden potential.”</p>
<p>The butterfly hovered a couple of rounds around Ren before flying away.</p>
<p>He stood up and touched his face; he noticed he was wearing his Joker outfit, mask and all. He strayed far from the bed, wandering into the mystical place that had become so familiar to him in recent years. A barren city sunk in perpetual twilight. He turned over the words of the mysterious voice in his mind.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Greater power, huh? I should give it a test…”  </em>
</p>
<p>He turned on his heel and picked up the pace with a destination in mind. After a few meters, Arsène manifested next to Ren.</p>
<p>“Are you really going back there? After what happened last time?” The Persona asked.</p>
<p>“If what that voice said is true, then we can probably take him on now.”</p>
<p>Arsène hummed. “Very well, young rebel. Let’s see what you can do.”</p>
<p>He traversed the urban maze until he reached a secluded alley. The empty space between concrete walls was obscured by the shadow of a titanic monster towering above Ren. The boy was now face to face against another demonic beast. </p>
<p>“Is it me or does he look bigger than last time?”</p>
<p>Arsène chuckled. “Getting cold feet?”</p>
<p>“Never.” Ren said as he summoned his weapons. “Arsène, ravage him!”</p>
<p>The Persona and its wielder launched a simultaneous attack. Arsène’s curse magic proved to be ineffective against their opponent, but with a combination of physical attacks and Ren’s strikes with his own dagger and pistol, they were able to defeat it after a brief but intense fight. The monster fell to the ground and Ren held it up at gunpoint.</p>
<p>“Lend me your power.” He said.</p>
<p>The creature transformed into a ball of light, which was subsequently absorbed into Ren’s mask. He sighed with a mix of relief and pride; his many attempts at recruiting this particular persona had been unsuccessful, but all his recent training and bond forming had paid off.</p>
<p>“Well done, Arsène.” Ren said, patting his other self in the back. “Maybe we can recruit some more Personas while we’re here.”</p>
<p>Content with the new addition to his compendium, he skipped merrily outside the alleyway. As Ren crossed the corner, an eerie shiver ran through his body; he could feel something in the air was different. He looked around using his Third Eye, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and yet the change in the atmosphere was evident. It was then that he spotted it; at the end of the street stood a strange figure, but it was too dark to discern any details about it.</p>
<p>Ren readied his blade and slowly approached it. The closer he got, the more distinguishable features he could make out in the figure. It was definitely a person; they were about the same height as him and they had long, shaggy brown hair, but their face was nothing but a blur. Ren took another step forward, but then the stranger turned their back to him and disappeared into the shadows.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Two weeks had passed since his dream and Ren still couldn’t get the mysterious figure out of his mind. He had been thinking about the encounter ever since it took place, and now he was ruminating about it again as he got dressed into his uniform.</p>
<p><em>“It must have been a Shadow, right?” </em>He thought.<em> “But it didn’t feel like any Shadow I’ve seen before…”</em></p>
<p>He had no reason to be worried, but he couldn’t help but feeling an uncanny itch about it that he just couldn’t scratch.</p>
<p>“Breakfast is ready! Come down here, kid.” Sojiro called from downstairs.</p>
<p>Ren realised there was no point in dwelling on it. He grabbed his school bag and headed down to the café, where a hot plate of curry awaited him on the bar. He sat down and dug right into the meal.</p>
<p>“Eat up, kid. It’s a big day today.” Sojiro said. “Are you excited? I sure as hell am. I invited Inko over, we’re going to watch it on TV.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I’m more than excited.”</p>
<p>Today was finally the day, the U.A. Sports Festival. Ren had been training with his friends relentlessly for the past weeks. It was all leading up to this day; the expectations were sky-high, and he fully intended to deliver.  </p>
<p>Ren wolfed down his breakfast in an instant and rushed to the door. Right before leaving, he turned around to look at Sojiro.</p>
<p>“Stay tuned, boss...” He said with a wink. “…I’ll make sure to put on a good show.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A final word of encouragement from Eraserhead. What would Joker do without our favourite teacher?</p>
<p>Joker-sensei is ready to whip these punks into shape. And of course no work-out is complete without a bit of locker room talk; with a guest appearance by a cheeky Dark Shadow, no less.</p>
<p>Enough preamble, the Sports Festival is finally here. <br/>Not much more to say, get ready for next chapter. Till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anticipation was brewing in the Class 1-A waiting room. The students had changed into their P.E. uniforms and now the only thing left to do was wait for the Sports Festival to begin.</p>
<p>Ren sat by the corner with Izuku and Tokoyami, the two of them engaged in conversation; about what, Ren wasn’t sure. He was too distracted trying to inconspicuously steal glances at Yaoyorozu, who sat next to Jiro at the other side of the room.</p>
<p>She had been avoiding him since the USJ incident. Despite being hurt, he didn’t blame her. Ren couldn’t help but feel that he had been dishonest with her. He knew that if there was a chance to mend their friendship, she was going to need time; he should give her some space for now... And yet, despite his better judgement, he was standing up and walking over to talk to her.</p>
<p>“Uh, hey…” Once he was in front of them, his brain spontaneously decided to turn off its speech centre. Ren realised he should’ve put more thought into his plan. “I wanted to wish you good luck at the festival.” He improvised.</p>
<p>Yaoyorozu regarded him for a moment. “Thank you.” She responded curtly without making eye contact.</p>
<p>Notwithstanding the shortness in her reply, Ren was content with simply hearing her voice again after weeks.</p>
<p>Jiro quickly chimed in to prevent an awkward silence. “Thanks, Ren. I’d wish you good luck as well, but it’s not like you need it. Am I right?”</p>
<p>“Amamiya.”</p>
<p>They were interrupted by Todoroki, who was coming their way. His demeanour as stoic as ever.</p>
<p>Ren wondered what he could possibly want from him; it’s not like Todoroki had been his biggest fan either since his secret identity was revealed.</p>
<p>“May I help you?” He asked.</p>
<p>“I just came to say goodbye.”</p>
<p>“Are you going somewhere?”</p>
<p>“No.” Todoroki said. “ You are.”</p>
<p>Ren was taken aback. He tried to make sense of his words, but Todoroki continued before he could ask any questions.</p>
<p>“You had your fun playing around and pretending to be a Hero, but it’s time you know your place.” He said. “As you know, the teachers have the power to transfer people in and out of the Hero course based on their performance at the Sports Festival. I will beat you in this competition, and I’ll make sure to show everyone that you’re nothing but a criminal who doesn’t belong in U.A., but behind bars.”</p>
<p>Todoroki didn’t raise his voice, but his sharp tongue cut deeply. There was no anger his words; only the cold contempt that conveyed his statement was not a threat, but a promise.</p>
<p>“Mark my words, Amamiya–your days on the Hero course are numbered.”</p>
<p>Todoroki’s speech sucked all the air out of the room and replaced it with tension; one could hear a pin drop in the heavy silence. Everyone looked at Ren, expectant of his response. The boy in question looked around to assess his surroundings before drawing a deep breath. He recalled the words Eraserhead said to him on their last meeting, and with his message in mind, he finally spoke.</p>
<p>“I harbour no ill will towards you, Todoroki; I understand why you hate me so much, and in a way, I can sympathise with you. I wish I could’ve done some things differently, but it is impossible to change the past. You can keep on antagonising me this way if you feel it is what you need to do, but I won’t be taking it sitting down any longer.”</p>
<p>Ren took a step back and spoke up to address the room.</p>
<p>“This goes for everyone here.” His eyes hovered over Ida, Ojiro, Asui... all the Joker denouncers in the classroom. “Many of you have made their opinion about me very clear. Let me make something clear as well–I have no intention of going anywhere. I came to this school to become a Hero, and that’s what I’m going to do whether you like it or not.”</p>
<p>He turned back to stand face to face with Todoroki.</p>
<p>“And as for your little declaration of war; I have only one thing to say… “</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Bring it on.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Eraserhead sat along with the other teachers at the U.A. faculty box in the Sports Festival Stadium. They were observing the festival’s opening ceremony taking place. As the acting master of ceremonies, Midnight had introduced the first year stage of the Sports Festival and invited Bakugo–who had been appointed class speaker due to being first place at the entrance exam– to recite the student pledge. Instead, class 1-A’s resident ruffian proclaimed with absolute certainty he would place first at the festival, taunting and provoking ire in the rest of the first year classes.</p>
<p>Eraserhead shook his head with disapproval. “That big mouth is going to get him into big trouble someday…”</p>
<p>“At least he’s confident.”</p>
<p>From the corner of his eye he saw Sae approaching.</p>
<p>“Miss Nijima, I didn’t expect to see you here.”</p>
<p>“It was not originally in my plans. Principal Nezu invited Tsukauchi and me. He couldn’t make it, but he insisted I still came to represent the taskforce. Mind if I sit here?” She said while pointing to the empty seat next to him.</p>
<p>“By all means.”</p>
<p>Down in the field, the first event of the festival was revealed to be an Obstacle Race around the circumference of the stadium; the first year students got in positions at the starting line. Eraserhead glanced at the at women on his side; their relationship wasn’t exactly friendly, but if they were going to be sitting next to each other for potentially hours, the least he could do was try his best with some small talk.</p>
<p>“I didn’t take you for a sports fan.”</p>
<p>“I’m not, usually. But I always make an exception for the U.A. Sports Festival.” She said.</p>
<p>Eraserhead nodded silently, a fuzzy memory started coming back to him. “Hey, didn’t your sister win last year’s sports festival?”</p>
<p>“She did.”</p>
<p>“That was definitely one to remember.” He said. “How is she, by the way?”</p>
<p>Sae shifted her face away from him, and was now looking straight down to the pitch. “I wouldn’t know… we don’t really talk much these days.”</p>
<p>Aizawa noticed his comment hit a nerve. He was abruptly reminded of why he had adopted a quiet, brooding image in the first place; he had a tendency to put his foot in his mouth when left unchecked.</p>
<p>He tried to change the subject. “I’m pretty sure this year will deliver some memorable performances as well; the new batch of freshmen shows a lot of promise.”</p>
<p>“Anyone in particular to look out for?”</p>
<p>“I may be biased, but I believe class 1-A has the most potential I’ve seen in years. There’s the obvious favourites, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, and Ida. They all come from prominent families and have been training their powerful Quirks since an early age. There’s also a couple of possible dark horses. There aren’t many people as driven as Bakugo, and the power of Tokoyami’s Dark Shadow is formidable.” The homeroom teacher contemplated the skills of his students. “But if I’m being honest, I have a feeling Amamiya has a good chance of coming out on top.”</p>
<p>Sae let out a dry, mocking laugh. “Please, you are definitely biased. Amamiya is talented, there’s no doubt about it, but he lacks discipline. The ability to beat up street thugs doesn’t really translate to organised sport. If I had to hazard a prediction, the Todoroki kid seems like the most likely candidate to take the gold.”</p>
<p>“Said the pot to the kettle… You should give the kid a chance. If you were willing to see past the first impression, I’m sure he’d surprise you.”</p>
<p>“Would you be willing to put money on that?”</p>
<p>“Excuse me?”</p>
<p>“10 thousand yen says Amamiya will not even place top 4 this year.”</p>
<p>“I’m not going to gamble on my students’ performance.”</p>
<p>“Come on, it’s just a friendly bet between friends. Or are you scared your little pet project is not going to cut it?” She challenged him with an arched eyebrow and a grin.</p>
<p>Eraserhead huffed. On one hand, it didn’t feel right to take the bet, but on the other hand, Sae’s smug smile was successfully edging him on…</p>
<p>“You’re on, Nijima.”</p>
<p>They sealed the deal with a handshake. Present Mic chose that specific second to pop up behind them.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry to interrupt your moment, but I need to borrow Eraser for a minute. “</p>
<p>“What is it, Mic?”</p>
<p>“There is an emergency at the announcer’s booth, your presence is required immediately.”</p>
<p>Eraserhead shot up from his seat upon hearing those words.</p>
<p>“Emergency?! Did the Villains come back? Are there any students in danger?”</p>
<p>Present Mic dismissed his friend’s questions. “There’s no time to explain. Follow me, hurry!”</p>
<p>The pair of teachers rushed to the other side of the stadium. Eraserhead kicked the door to the announcer’s booth open, only to find the room completely empty. He walked in to examine the scene; not a speck of dust out of place.</p>
<p>“Mic, what the hell is going on here? What’s the emergency?”</p>
<p>The next thing Eraserhead heard was the sound of the door locking behind him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I can’t believe you roped me into this.”</p>
<p>“Esteemed ladies and gentlemen in the audience, this is the one and only Present Mic reporting from the announcer’s booth to provide insightful commentary for the hottest ticket in town, the U.A. Sports Festival. Joining me here today is the Erasure Hero: Eraserhead. Let’s kick this off, shall we?” The English teacher said into the microphone. He then turned towards his colleague. “Tell us, Eraser; what should we be paying attention to in the early stages of the race?”</p>
<p>“The doorway…”</p>
<p>The starting pistol sounded and all the first year students rushed through the stadium gates leading into the obstacle course. In the frenzy, Ren was separated from the rest of his class and found himself stuck in the crowd jam-packed within the corridor. Todoroki used his Quirk to summon a blizzard. He instantly froze the other competitors and escaped the congestion, taking the first place in the race.</p>
<p>Ren weighed his options. Despite the obstacles, the essence of a race was always the same; the winner is whoever crosses the finishing line first, so speed is paramount. He smiled to himself as a lightbulb went off in his head–If speed is what they wanted, then speed they would get. Using the person in front of him as a ladder, Ren hoisted himself upwards and carefully stepped on the heads and shoulders of his fellow students to get over the jam. He ran to the front of the rabble and leapt into the air.</p>
<p>“Johanna!”</p>
<p>Present Mic’s voice blasted from the stadium’s P.A. system.</p>
<p>“It appears many were able to dodge Todoroki’s ice attack, he’s gonna have to try harder if he wants to maintain the lead. Bakugo, Kirishima, and Yaoyorozu pull ahead of the rest. Amamiya managed to get through the crowd as well, he seems to be–Wait a second, do my eyes deceive me or did Amamiya just summon an actual motorcycle?!”</p>
<p>Ren did a front-flip to land mounted on top of the motorcycle-shaped persona. He twisted the right grip and took off at full throttle. The thermonuclear energy radiating from the engine melted the ice in its path. Ren rode past Todoroki, their eyes connected for a brief second, materialising sparks of rivalry.</p>
<p>Johanna’s speed gave Ren a sizeable lead over the rest of the first-years. He breezed through the next couple hundred metres until he ran into the first obstacle of the race–a legion of gigantic combat robots. Three mechanical juggernauts charged at him. Ren mused they must have been the same type of robots form the entrance exam; they wouldn’t be too much of a challenge. He twisted the throttle to accelerate, then he engaged the brakes and shifted gears to drift the motorcycle in between the robots.</p>
<p>“Mafreila!”</p>
<p>Upon command, Johanna fired a wave of atomic blasts, wiping out the machines in the blink of an eye.</p>
<p>“Hot damn! Apparently Amamiya’s new set of wheels can do more than just run fast. He took down the robots without even breaking a sweat! The rest of the first years is still far behind him, but it looks like they’re managing the robotic threat just fine. Todoroki freezes the Villain-Bots like popsicles. Kirishima and Tetsutetsu decide to punch their way through the Robo-Inferno; Bakugo, Sero, And Tokoyami opt to use their Quirks to fly over the robots.” Present Mic announced.</p>
<p>Eraserhead added some colour commentary. “Amamiya has secured the lead so far thanks to his vehicle persona, but that strategy is not going to work for him on the next obstacle. Todoroki and Bakugo are nearly treading on his heels; He better have another trick up his sleeve.”</p>
<p>Ren advanced on the course until he reached a point where the path ended. Ahead of him was a gargantuan chasm with no bottom in sight. Between the two sides of the abyss stood a multitude of stone pillars interlinked by tightropes. He stood up from Johanna and recalled the persona. He mentally went over his available personas, trying to come up with a plan to get over the rift in the quickest way possible. No matter how he looked at it, he saw no other option; he would have to rely on his acrobatic abilities and balance through the tightropes the old-fashioned way.</p>
<p>He eventually reached the other side, but it took him a lot longer than he thought. He looked over his shoulder and saw the other competitors were closer than he would’ve liked. He pressed onwards to the next obstacle.</p>
<p>“Amamiya’s lead has shrunk considerably, and Classes A and B are now neck and neck. The last obstacle of the race will be the decisive one.”</p>
<p>“The first years are finally approaching the explosive finale we’ve prepared for the obstacle race... a literal minefield!”</p>
<p>Ren arrived at the edge of the minefield. He activated his Third Eye to reveal the location of the multiple mines that infested the last stage of the Obstacle Race. The mines were too close together to manoeuvre the field mounted on Johanna; once more he would have to rely on his own two legs, but at least he had the advantage of his sixth sense to avoid the explosives.</p>
<p>He started running like a bat out of hell, but he hadn’t progressed too far when an enormous wall of ice manifested in front of him out of the blue. Without any time to react, Ren collided with the frozen construct and landed on his butt.</p>
<p>From the ground, Ren saw Todoroki run past him, silently overtaking his first place. Their gazes locked again, overflowing with enmity. Todoroki then made and opening through the ice, walked past it, and sealed it back again.</p>
<p>Ren hurried back up and grunted. He was starting to get heated up.</p>
<p>“Carmen! Agidyne!”</p>
<p>Ren summoned the fire persona, which rapidly launched a fireball at the ice wall, melting a hole through the middle. Ren jumped through the wall and took up the chase after Todoroki. He was only a few metres ahead of him, he could still catch up.</p>
<p>Ren used Carmen to throw another fireball at his rival, but before it could connect, the projectile was blasted away by an explosion.</p>
<p>“Forgot about me, huh Tuxedo Mask? I will end you! You too, Icy-Hot!”</p>
<p>“What a development! Todoroki and Bakugo have caught up with Amamiya, and it looks like the former has managed to take the lead. The trio is taking part in a heated three-way brawl, but can they stay ahead while fighting each other?” Present Mic broadcasted. “ Woah, there’s a huge explosion at the back of the minefield– What is that? It's a bird, It's a plane, It's... Midoriya soaring trough the skies!”</p>
<p>Ren, Todoroki, and Bakugo stopped for a moment, their attention diverted to the unidentified flying object above them. Izuku had cleverly used the power of the landmines to propel himself into first place. The three of them briefly exchanged glances and promptly started running ahead, ignoring each other in favour of the finishing line.</p>
<p>“And Midoriya takes the lead, but the others the others still tailgating him! This is the last sprint, can he make it? This is looking to be a photo finish, folks. Eraser, your students are amazing! What are you teaching them?”</p>
<p>“This has nothing to do with me, each one of them is powered by their own drive to succeed.”</p>
<p>“There you have it, Eraserhead is a terrible teacher!”</p>
<p>“What?!”</p>
<p>“What a race, ladies and gentleman. Who could’ve imagined; the surprises, the upsets! The students are nearing the end, and the winner is…”</p>
<p>“Izuku Midoriya is the first one to make it back to the stadium and the winner of the Obstacle Race! Todoroki is right behind him, Amamiya following and finally Bakugo in fourth place.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>In the aftermath of the Obstacle Race, the top 42 students advanced to the next event, the Cavalry Battle. Points were allocated to each participant based on their finishing position in the race. Ren got 200 points for finishing third, 205 points for Todoroki in the second place, but Izuku earned the whopping score of 10,000,000 for first place. The freshmen now had fifteen minutes to form teams from 2 to 4 people.</p>
<p>Ren’s first instinct was to team up with Izuku, but he knew that having the guy worth 10 million points and the infamous criminal student on the same team would just paint a massive target on their backs; that could not end well for them. He looked around to scout the best possible teammates, but he noticed people were avoiding him.</p>
<p>The clock was ticking down and he still hadn’t found a team. Ren could use his Quirk both offensively and defensively, so he could cover the bases necessary. He didn’t care much about the specific people; at this point he would take anyone willing to be on his team. He solicited everyone in the vicinity looking to join any team.</p>
<p>“Umm… no thanks.”</p>
<p>“Get lost!”</p>
<p>“Piss off, Joker.”</p>
<p>Each one of his attempts was met with rejection. Perhaps this was the universe’s twisted plan. He would end up disqualified without a team before even having the chance to prove himself.  </p>
<p>
  <em>“Come on… I just need someone to give me a chance… ”</em>
</p>
<p>“Hey, Ren.”</p>
<p>His prayers were answered in the form of a fluffy haired angel.</p>
<p>“Haru! I’m so glad you made it.”</p>
<p>Next to him stood his friend Haru, her positive smile ever-present but weaker than usual; she seemed worn down.</p>
<p>“Only barely…” She said. “I really underestimated how hard the Obstacle Race was going to be.”</p>
<p>“What place did you finish in?”</p>
<p>“38th”</p>
<p>Ren looked at the scoreboard to check Haru’s position.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>38<sup>th </sup>Haru Okumura – 25 points</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He read the name twice, it was the first time he saw Haru’s full name. There was something strangely odd about it, but Ren couldn’t quite put his finger on it.</p>
<p>“Haru Okumura?”</p>
<p>Okumura… the jigsaw slowly fell into place.</p>
<p>“Wait. Is it the same Okumura as…?” Ren trailed off.</p>
<p>“Yes...” Haru knew exactly what he meant without having to hear the words. “<em>that</em> Okumura.”</p>
<p>Ren looked back and forth between Haru and the luxury boxes at the top of the stadium reserved for the support company representatives.</p>
<p>“Does that mean that…?”</p>
<p>“Yes. My father is Kunikazu Okumura, CEO of Okumura Corp.”</p>
<p>“So you are…?”</p>
<p>“Yes. I’m the heiress to the largest support item company in Japan.”</p>
<p>Ren finally understood Haru’s situation fully. Not only was Okumura Corp an immensely powerful company, they were also infamous for the mistreatment of their employees and other dodgy dealings. It was no wonder she was also subjected to rumours and ostracisation from her peers. She was in the same boat as him; people judged her based on the prejudice of her name without even attempting to see the real person behind it. And on top of all that, her father–one of the most powerful men in the nation, was vehemently unsupportive of her dream. Ren remembered their conversation behind the library; he had forgotten that he wasn’t the only with something to prove at the Sports Festival. It was his duty to help Haru.</p>
<p>“Haru, would you like to team up with me. I know your father is going to be watching; I promise you if we work together, we’ll blow him away and change his mind.”</p>
<p>“I would love to!”</p>
<p>“Nice” Ren said. “We should try to find other people as well. Do you know anyone we could ask?”</p>
<p>“Everyone else from my class has been eliminated, and I don’t know anyone from the Hero course.”</p>
<p>“Mmh… Let’s see, who would be willing to join our team…”</p>
<p>Ren scouted the vicinity for potential recruits. Far away on the field, he spotted one of the few allies in his class.</p>
<p>“Tokoyami, there you are!” Ren ran towards his bird-headed friend. “Thank god I found you, would you join our team?”</p>
<p>Tokoyami looked away from him, seemingly in shame.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry Amamiya, but I’m afraid I must refuse your invitation.”</p>
<p>Ren was at a loss for words; that was not the reaction he expected. He was one of his only friends. Had he done something to change Tokoyami’s mind about him. “B-but… I thought...”</p>
<p>“Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not doing this because of you, it’s because of me.” Tokoyami said. “You saved my life at the USJ, and after that you took the time to train me and help me improve. You’ve been behind me every step of the way, and while my gratitude to you is beyond words, I’ve come to the realisation that I cannot keep relying on you to be there to save me every time. That is why I’m not going to join your team. I’m going to use this festival as an opportunity to use everything you’ve taught me and show you just how far I’ve come, even if it means competing against you.”</p>
<p>Ren’s worry turned into pride; not only in himself, but in his pupil. He felt a lot better knowing that out of all the people gunning for him during the Cavalry Battle, at least one of them would be doing so out of respect rather than spite. Ren smiled and offered his hand to his friend.</p>
<p>“I admire your conviction, Tokoyami. I’ll see you on the field, then.”</p>
<p>He accepted the handshake and promptly excused himself to find a team of his own.</p>
<p>“Aww, how sweet!” Haru said. “We still need another teammate, though. Right?”</p>
<p>“What’s up, Renren? Heard you were looking for a teammate.” Jiro materialised from the crowd around them just in time to aid them. “Don’t worry, Earphone Jack’s got your back. I’ll join your team.”</p>
<p>“Jiro! You’re a lifesaver.” Ren said.</p>
<p>“Don’t mention it.” She said before turning to Haru with a curious look. “Who’s your friend?”</p>
<p>“Oh, where are my manners? I’m Haru Okumura from class 1-J.”</p>
<p>“Hey, I recognise you from somewhere. You’re that super rich heiress from the Business course! How do you know Ren?”</p>
<p>“We’re friends, he helped me out with some things.”</p>
<p>“Sounds like him.”</p>
<p>Ren interjected to continue the team making process. They only had a few minutes left.  “Great, now we only need one more player. Technically just us 3 is enough, but we could really use the numbers advantage.”</p>
<p>It was then that an unknown boy approached the group, he had messy, violet hair and heavy bags under his eyes.</p>
<p>“Excuse my intrusion, but I couldn’t help but overhear… It appears as though you are still missing one player. Won’t you let me join your team?”</p>
<p>“Really? Awesome, come on over!” Ren clapped and rubbed his hands together with enthusiasm. “Okay, we’re now complete. Let’s brainstorm strategies and–”</p>
<p>“Hold on second.” The boy interrupted. His deadpan expression changed into sheer bewilderment. “Just like that? You don’t feel a bit dazed or anything?”</p>
<p>“Not at all, I actually–” Ren started before the stranger cut him off again.</p>
<p>“Wait, wait... You mean… you want me on your team?!”</p>
<p>“Sure, why wouldn’t we?”</p>
<p>“But you don’t even know me.’”</p>
<p>“That’s alright, I’m sure we can work out some synergies between our Quirks. You’ve made it this far, you probably have a strong one; why don’t you tell us more about it.” He said. “ I’m Ren Amamiya, by the way.”</p>
<p>“I know.” The boy replied. “Shinso, Hitoshi Shinso.”</p>
<p>“Welcome aboard Shinso.”</p>
<p>The newly formed team huddled together to draft their action plan for the Cavalry Battle.</p>
<p>“Get ready, team… It’s showtime.”</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And the Sport Festival arc kicks-off!</p>
<p>A lot is at stake. The Amamiya-Todoroki rivalry is kindling, and Ren is ready to face this challenge head on.</p>
<p>Our hero managed to find a team of unlikely individuals, and two of them aren't even in the Hero course! How will they fare in the upcoming event?</p>
<p>Up next, the Cavalry Battle. Till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Izuku Midoriya is the first one to make it back to the stadium and the winner of the Obstacle Race! Todoroki is right behind him, Amamiya following and finally Bakugo in fourth place.” The commentary of Present Mic sounded through the television speakers.</p>
<p>“Yes! Go Izuku!” Inko cheered as she jumped from her seat at the bar, almost knocking over her coffee cup.</p>
<p>She and Sojiro were watching the broadcast of the U.A. Sports Festival on LeBlanc’s television; the latter of the two had closed the café for the day to enjoy the event without disturbances.</p>
<p>“I’ll be damned. Who would've thunk that after all these years Izuku would one day awaken a dormant Quirk, get into U.A. High School, and come first in the obstacle race of the Sports Festival.” Sojiro said.</p>
<p>“My baby…” Inko wiped a happy tear from her eye. “And Ren came third too! They already did so well. We can be proud of them getting this far.”</p>
<p>The barista shook his head. “To hell with that! This was just round one, my Ren is bringing that trophy home.”</p>
<p>Inko smiled at him knowingly. “Your Ren, huh?”</p>
<p>Sojiro tried his hardest to hold back a blush. Even though it originally started off as distant, his relationship with Ren quickly evolved into an intimate, almost familial one; he would never admit it outright, but the man couldn’t deny that he was a big softie at heart. </p>
<p>“You’ve always had a habit of collecting strays.” His friend said. “Speaking of, where is Futaba?”</p>
<p>Sojiro shrugged. “Cooped up in her room. You know how she gets; when I told her that there would be no mechs or virtual idols, she lost all interest in watching the Sports Festival.”</p>
<p>“You could have still lured her out with some instant yakisoba.” Inko said with a giggle.</p>
<p>“And we are back, ladies and gentlemen! Ready your bodies for the second round of our exhilarating Sports Festival–The Cavalry Battle!”</p>
<p>Their conversation was cut short by the return of the broadcast. The two of them put all their focus on the screen, eager to see the next trial their children would face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Alright, let’s talk Quirks.” Ren said while addressing his newly-formed team. “What’s yours exactly, Shinso?”</p>
<p>“My Quirk is Brainwashing.” Shinso said. “It allows me to take control of anyone who verbally responds to me. I can then make them obey any command I give them.”</p>
<p>“Whoa, that’s an incredibly powerful Quirk.” Ren exclaimed with great surprise. “I guess it must have some limitations, though. And you probably can activate it on command, right? I assume because I responded to your request for joining our team and I wasn’t brainwashed.”</p>
<p>“That’s correct, but…” Shinso awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “…I did try to use it on you. I was running out of time for finding a team, it was nothing personal. But my Quirk didn’t work on you for some reason.”</p>
<p>Ren contemplated what his teammate just said. He was somehow immune to the influence of Shinso’s Quirk. He wasn’t one hundred percent sure of the reason, but he had a pretty good idea. There was a very specific way his mind differed from everyone else’s.</p>
<p>“It must be because of my personas…” Ren thought out loud.</p>
<p>“What do your personas have to do with anything?”</p>
<p>“Oh, uh… that’s…” He stammered when he realised that he spoke inadvertently. He tried to change the subject. “It’s not important. You already know what you need to know about my Quirk. I have different personas, each one with its own strength and weaknesses; it is pretty taxing to constantly be swapping between them though, so I try to avoid it when possible. That is why Todoroki is going to be a problem… I usually gravitate to Arsène–my strongest persona, but he is weak against ice attacks. If I have to swap back and forth to a fire persona then I’m not going to be at the top of my game.”</p>
<p>“I think I can help with that.” Haru chimed in. “My Quirk is Deluminator. I can remotely extinguish and light up different light sources. It is not very useful in combat, but I hope I can contribute to the team in a different way.”</p>
<p>That’s when they all noticed Haru had a large suitcase by her side. She laid on the ground and kneeled next to it to open it.</p>
<p>“I dabble in the creation of support items.” She said as she rummaged through the contents of the suitcase. “I don’t have much experience with Hero items, but I believe we can repurpose some of my old gadgets during the Cavalry Battle… Now where did I put them… Here they are!”</p>
<p>She turned back towards the team and held her hands behind her back.</p>
<p>“You know how in the winter it gets too cold to exercise outdoors? You could wear a coat, but working out with too many layers of clothing would be too uncomfortable. That is why I invited these!” Haru whipped out a pair of metallic bracelets; they were cobalt blue and had a ruby coloured stripe centred around their circumference.</p>
<p> “These bracelets turn kinetic energy into heat. They can be worn on the wrist and they warm you up as you exercise.”</p>
<p>“That’s very cool and all, but how are those bangles going to help us?”</p>
<p>“You are saying to put the bracelets on Arsène” Ren said when he caught on to Haru’s plan. “Since he’s way faster and stronger than a normal human, his kinetic energy would generate enough heat to melt Todoroki’s ice… Haru, you’re a genius!”</p>
<p>Ren promptly summoned the persona in question to equip him with the heating devices. They were too small to be worn by Arsène on the wrists but they fit him perfectly as rings, decorating his dark claws.</p>
<p>Haru looked quite pleased with the assessment of her invention, but she wasn’t done. She took out another gadget from the suitcase. “I also have this for you, Jiro.”</p>
<p>“For me?” Jiro took the gadget in her hands. It was a small metallic box with mesh on the front, and a couple of audio sockets on the back.</p>
<p>“Ren has told me a bit about your quirk. This is a regular speaker monitor, but I have made a few modifications.  If you plug your earphone jacks into it, you can reverberate the sound of your heartbeat into a frequency capable of temporarily paralyse someone.” Haru explained.</p>
<p>A wide smile formed in Jiro’s face. “Awesome.”</p>
<p>While Haru filled Jiro in on the functionality of the speaker box, Ren browsed her creations inside the suitcase. He spotted a number of tiny opaque spheres that struck him as familiar.</p>
<p>“Haru, what are these?”</p>
<p>“Oh, those are just a prototype. One day I was experimenting with different chemicals when I unintentionally came across a specific reaction that would create a large volume of smoke–”</p>
<p>“So these are smoke bombs, aren’t they?”</p>
<p>“Essentially, yes.”</p>
<p>Ren grinned. Smoke bombs had been an integral part of his toolbelt during his time as Joker; he could certainly make good use of them.</p>
<p>“These will come in very handy…” As Ren laughed wickedly to himself, another one of Haru’s items caught his eye. It was a large, silver cylinder with a leather strap attached to both ends. He reached to inspect it closer, but Haru hurriedly closed the suitcase.</p>
<p>“That one is just a personal project. It’s nothing useful, really.”</p>
<p>The voice of Midnight interjected. “Three minutes left!”</p>
<p>Ren abandoned all thoughts about Haru’s mysterious gadget and focused on the upcoming event.</p>
<p>“Listen up, team. I have a strategy. First of all, Jiro and I will be horses, since we can fight without our hands; I’ll go in front and Jiro on the right. Haru, I think you should be a horse as well, and you Shinso should be the rider.“ Ren took a brief pause to give room for any objection from the others. They remained silent and he continued with the plan. ”Most teams are going to go after the 10 million headband. On paper it makes sense; just that headband is enough to win the whole thing, but we have our sight in something else… Instead of going for one high-value headband, we’ll go for many low-value ones. No one else will be going after them so they will be uncontested, and their carriers won’t be expecting us to attack. After we have enough points, people will catch wind of our strategy and turn onto us, then we will shift to defence and hold onto the headbands until time runs out.”</p>
<p>“It sounds like you’ve got it all figured out. Let’s rock this!” Jiro said.</p>
<p>“Time’s up!“ Midnight said. “The Cavalry Battle is about to start. Remember, any direct attack to make another team fall will be penalised with an immediate disqualification. Now get in positions, teams!”</p>
<p>In the end, there was a total of 12 teams. They all got in formation around the field and the final countdown began.</p>
<p>“Stay focused. Just stick to the plan and we’ve got this in the bag.” Ren said.</p>
<p>“…three… two… one… begin!” Midnight announced the beginning of the game.</p>
<p>As predicted, the bulk of the teams pursued Izuku’s team, aiming for the 10 million points, causing a large melee in the middle of the playing field. Jiro grabbed a pair of smoke bombs with each one of her earphone jacks and threw them into the ground. The devices detonated on impact, unleashing a cloud of thick smog.</p>
<p>“Pixie.”</p>
<p>Ren summoned the mischievous fairy and activated the Third Eye to guide his team. Navigating around the smoke and confusion of the scuffle, Ren used his persona and Jiro her prehensile earphone jacks to swipe the headbands of the distracted competitors; they managed to escape the commotion with 4 new headbands, instantly jumping to second place in the leader board.</p>
<p>“Nice one, Jiro.” Ren sent pixie to high-five Jiro’s jacks. “Now we can–”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*<strong>Boom</strong>*</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Out of nowhere, the team was jumped by a loud explosion right next to them.</p>
<p>“Bakugo, he’s here!”</p>
<p>“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mistake me for 1-A trash.”</p>
<p>The smoke of the explosion cleared, revealing a team of class 1-B students led by Monoma.</p>
<p>“He can make explosions too?!”</p>
<p>“You class A halfwits never learn. Did you even stop for a second to think about why most of class B ranked so low on the Obstacle Race? It’s because we didn’t use our quirks at all. We took the opportunity to observe the competition, learn as much as we could about the powers of the other participants without having to reveal our own. And now we hold all the cards.”</p>
<p>Ren felt like a fool for showing off during the first stage. Indeed, the result of the race did not actually matter much on later rounds, and now they had no idea what the Quirks class B were. Although, in the case of Monoma, there was one likely candidate.</p>
<p>“He can copy other Quirks.” Ren said.</p>
<p>“Correct! At least you’re putting your single braincell to good use. I can copy other powers, and I must admit, I’ve been looking forward to sampling yours.”</p>
<p>Monoma leaned in and tapped Ren on the head. Monoma’s eyes then flashed an unnatural yellow colour.</p>
<p>“So this is your Third Eye? Pretty trippy. Now on to the main event… Persona!”</p>
<p>The blond boy yelled expecting to manifest a monstruous creature, but instead was met by whole lot of nothing.</p>
<p>“Huh? Why is nothing happening?”</p>
<p>“Sorry to rain on your parade, but I almost fell asleep listening to your whining.”</p>
<p>Jiro intervened with Haru’s speaker in hand. She plugged one of her jacks into it and unleashed a high, screeching noise. Monoma and his team squirmed in pain and immediately put their hands to their ears to try and block out the sound.</p>
<p>“I’ll be taking this, if you don’t mind.”</p>
<p>Shinso took advantage of their paralysed state and nabbed the headband off of Monoma’s neck before swiftly making an escape with his team. They ran to the other side of the field and took a moment to catch their breath.</p>
<p>“We’ve got a pretty good lead. We have to shift to defence, people will start targeting us now.” Ren huffed.</p>
<p>“You mean like them.”</p>
<p>Ren followed Shinso’s finger and saw a team approaching at great speed–Todoroki and his teammates: Kaminari, Yaoyorozu and Ida.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, team. I got this.”</p>
<p>Jiro pulled out the monitor speaker again and blasted the disarming tone towards their attackers’ direction, but their advance did not cease.</p>
<p>“It’s not working! Is this thing broken?”</p>
<p>Before long, team Todoroki was upon them thanks to Ida’s speed. From up close, they were able to see how the other team managed to trump Haru’s invention; they were all wearing sound-blocking earplugs, created by Yaoyorozu.</p>
<p>Kaminari took the speaker from Jiro’s Hand and fried it with an electric pulse, rendering the gadget useless. Before Ren had time to react and change personas, Todoroki reached for the headbands Shinso was carrying and got away with a handful.</p>
<p>After successfully stealing the points, Todoroki looked directly at Ren.</p>
<p>“I told you I would beat you.” He said with chilling brevity. He then raised an Ice barrier behind him to squash any attempt at retaliation and fled with his team.</p>
<p>An atypical anger started to invade Ren; after weeks of friction and clashing with Todoroki, the two-tone boy was starting to get under his skin. He took out his frustrations by punching the Ice wall in front of him and leaving a noticeable crack in it, which startled the rest of his team.</p>
<p>“It’s alright, Ren. We’ve still got a couple of headbands left.” Haru tried to console him.</p>
<p>“We do, but they took the most valuable ones. We are now on the bottom half of the ranks.” Shinso clarified.</p>
<p>“Oh shit, this is bad. What are we going to do now?” Jiro asked.</p>
<p>Ren looked at the scoreboard. The encounter with Todoroki’s team had indeed caused them to drop significantly. On top of that, ten minutes had already passed; they only had 5 minutes left to get back into the game.</p>
<p>Ren concentrated all of his brainpower into coming up with a new strategy. His plan to obtain as many headbands as possible in a blitz attack would not work again, and they might not have enough time to steal back the headbands they lost. He saw the 10 million points headband as their only hope, but then an intrusive thought crossed his mind.</p>
<p>It was a plan that first came to him before the start of the Cavalry Battle but ultimately discarded, knowing that his teammates would be against it. Ren turned the idea over in his mind, considering whether it would be worth it. He carefully regarded his situation; he couldn’t afford to lose, he made a promise to everyone that believed in him. Given the dire straits they found themselves in, he decided it was necessary, and he hoped the others thought so too.</p>
<p>“Guys, I have a plan.”</p>
<p>Jiro, Haru, and Shinso turned their heads and looked at him expectantly.</p>
<p>“We might not have enough time to steal enough headbands to make it into the next round.” Ren took a deep breath and close his eyes. “That is why we’re going to increase our chances by taking other teams out of the competition.”</p>
<p>The three of them didn’t react immediately, almost as if they had trouble believing Ren actually said what he just said.</p>
<p>“You can’t be serious. You heard what Midnight said, Ren; We’ll get disqualified!”</p>
<p>“We are not going to make anyone fall… they’ll do that themselves.” Ren said.</p>
<p>“And how exactly are they going to do that?”</p>
<p>“I have a couple of ideas, but this plan needs you all on board to work out. Are you with me?” He extended his hand behind him towards them, hoping for the support of his teammates.</p>
<p>Jiro put her hand on his without a second thought.  “You know I’m ride or die, Renren. And besides, what’s more punk rock than breaking the rules?”</p>
<p>Haru hesitated for a moment, but she eventually added her hand as well. “I trust you, Ren. I’m also in.”</p>
<p>And then the eyes were on the only member of the team yet to agree on the plan.</p>
<p>“What about you, Shinso?” Ren asked.</p>
<p>Shinso looked to the ground and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I can’t do it.”</p>
<p>“Why not?”</p>
<p>“Because If I do that, I will be confirming what everyone already thinks of me.” He said. Small hints of bitterness tainted his usual deadpan voice. “All my life people have been telling me that my Quirk is better suited for a Villain, cracking jokes about all the evil things could do with this power. That’s all people see me as, a potential criminal, but I never wanted anything more than being a Hero. If I use my quirk to pull a dirty trick like that, I will be fulfilling those expectations.”</p>
<p>Ren did not expect to see Shinso wear his heart on his sleeve like that. Nevertheless, despite barely knowing him, his feelings struck a chord. He realised that their struggles weren’t all that different.</p>
<p>“Shinso, I know we just met, but believe me–I know exactly how you feel. When people fear you without even knowing the real you. I remember what you said that time you came to my classroom; you failed the entrance exam for the Hero course, didn’t you? You have to work twice as hard to go half as far as those with more heroic Quirks. The system is rigged against you… and yet you are still here. You enrolled in the General Studies course and kept trying to get into the Hero course. That is why you participate in this Sports Festival; you want to prove wrong all of those who doubted you, and you will stop at to nothing to reach your dream.”</p>
<p>Ren wasn’t trying to convince Shinso anymore, just having a heart-to-heart with a kindred spirit.</p>
<p>“I promise you, with this plan we will win. And you’ll have your chance to prove yourself on the next round.”</p>
<p>Shinso didn’t lift his gaze from the ground, but after a few second he responded. “You’re a good speaker Amamiya. Let’s see if you can also put your money where your mouth is.” He said.</p>
<p>Ren smiled and gestured Jiro and Haru to lean in closer. “This is my plan…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The team consisting of Toru, Ojiro, Aoyama, and Koda was scrambling around the field trying to secure another headband. Koda had used his quirk to call a small flock of pigeons to aid them, which was now flying over them.</p>
<p>“Watch out, here comes another one.” Ojiro said to warn about an incoming offensive.</p>
<p>Ren’s team was coming their way looking for a fight, or so they thought; just as they were a few metres away, the attackers stopped right in their tracks, and the boy mounted atop their formation spoke.</p>
<p>“Nice belt, to they come in men’s sizes?” Shinso asked.</p>
<p>“Merci! I’m afraid not, this beauty was custom made for <em>moi</em>.”</p>
<p>“Um… I don’t think that was supposed to be a compliment, Aoyama.”</p>
<p>But Aoyama didn’t respond. His eyes seemed vacant and his body unresponsive.</p>
<p>“Would you mind a demonstration? Go ahead and shoot your laser.” Shinso said.</p>
<p>The flamboyant student obeyed the command and shot a couple blasts with his naval laser at no target in particular.</p>
<p>“Why don’t you aim a little higher?” Shinso added</p>
<p>Slowly, Aoyama began arching his back, directing his navel at the open sky above. The same area occupied by the helper pigeons.</p>
<p>Koda was quick to parse the trajectory of the laser, which would eventually reach the birds. “No! My little birdies!”</p>
<p>“What?! He can talk?! Since when–woh!”</p>
<p>Koda bolted towards Aoyama to stop the untimely demise of the birds. His hurried dash caused the rest of his teammates to lose their balance and accidentally drop Toru to the ground.</p>
<p>“Team Hagakure has let their rider touch the ground. They are disqualified!” Midnight called from the sidelines.</p>
<p>“No fair! It wasn’t our fault, it was them.” Toru complained while pointing next to their side, but she was signalling at the empty air; Ren’s team had already skedaddled.</p>
<p>Ren looked at his teammates to assess their status; they all exchanged silent glances. They weren’t exactly pleased with themselves, but they didn’t have time to worry about sportsmanship. They pressed on and continued employing scheming and trickery in equal measure to disqualify the competition without penalising themselves, which proved much faster than stealing the headbands the conventional way; in just four minutes they were able to rise on the scoreboard back to third place. </p>
<p>The team started celebrating their comeback; they were clear from elimination, nevertheless Ren remained staring at the scoreboard. He noticed that Izuku’s team had fallen from first place down to fourth, and the top position had been appropriated by team Todoroki; they had stolen the 10 million headband from Izuku.</p>
<p>Ren tightened his fists and clenched his jaw. Seeing Todoroki rank above him was bothering Ren to an unreasonable degree. All the previous run-ins with his seeming rival flashed through his mind. He definitely did not like him, but he had tried to take his hostility in stride. However, Todoroki decided to make things personal with his threat before the festival, and now Ren wanted to knock him off of his high horse.</p>
<p>“We’re not done yet.” He said.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“We’re going for the 10 million points.”</p>
<p>“But we already have enough points to qualify, and there’s only one minute left!”</p>
<p>“Trust me. We have to do it.” Ren said shortly. There was determination in his voice, but it wasn’t his usual confident one. Ren wasn’t playing around anymore, he was out for blood.</p>
<p>The rest of the team looked at him with slight concern, but ultimately they were all willing to trust him until the end.</p>
<p>Jiro nodded at him. “In for a penny, in for a pound.”</p>
<p>“I hope you know what you’re doing, Amamiya.” Shinso said.</p>
<p>The team rushed towards team Todoroki, who were still recovering from their ploy to steal the 10 million from Izuku; Ida had stalled his engine, and Kaminari had jammed his brain. They had nowhere left to run.</p>
<p>“Arsène!”</p>
<p>Ren was finally prepared to use his predilect persona. The Pillager of Twilight advanced towards the enemy team. When Todoroki detected the aggression he readied to guard their headbands.</p>
<p>“Yaoyorozu.” He said.</p>
<p>The ponytailed girl heeded the implied instruction, she created a staff and handed it to Todoroki. He stabbed the ground with it and channelled a wave of ice to stop the persona.</p>
<p>“Brave Blade!” Ren commanded.</p>
<p>Arsène winded his arm before destroying the incoming ice attack with one swooping slash of his claws. The demonic gentleman flew over to Todoroki, who counterattacked by striking with the staff, but failed to land a hit as Arsène caught the weapon in his hand and immobilised him. Todoroki tried to freeze Arsène by transferring cold through the staff, but the heat generated by Haru’s bracelets melted the ice just as quick as it was forming.</p>
<p>“Cover me.”</p>
<p>Ren let go of Shinso without warning and ran towards the other team; Jiro and Haru fumbled to catch the rider before he touched the ground. Meanwhile Ren climbed on Arsène’s back, vaulted over the persona, and landed on Ida’s shoulders. His Third Eye highlighted the 10 million headband; he reached for it and ripped it off of Todoroki’s neck.</p>
<p>“You’re mine.”</p>
<p>Todoroki felt overwhelmed by Ren’s charge. He lost his composure; his instincts kicked in and without even realising, his left side was suddenly engulfed in flames. The unexpected outburst made Ren stagger, he narrowly dodged the fire and dismounted from on top of Ida with a somersault before returning to his own team. </p>
<p>Before team Todoroki knew what hit them, time ran out and the announcers marked the end of the game.</p>
<p>“And with that concludes the Cavalry Battle. Let’s take a look at our top four teams.” Present Mic commented. “With an impressive last minute comeback, In first place… Team Shinso! Team Todoroki is dethroned and takes second place. Blasting into third place is Team Bakugo, and against all odds, Team Midoriya manages to squeeze into fourth place! These four valiant teams will move onto the final round, but before that, it is time for a recess.”</p>
<p>Ren and his team were both overjoyed and relieved by their victory in the event. They were congratulating each other when Shinso began walking away.</p>
<p>“Guess we’ll meet again in the final round.”</p>
<p>“Shinso, wait!” Ren said to get his attention. Shinso turned around and looked at him quizzically, unsure about what was left to be said.</p>
<p>“I just wanted to tell you to not give up on your dream of being a Hero. You may not have the flashiest Quirk, but you have a lot of talent, and it’s only a matter of time people start taking notice.”</p>
<p>Shinso simply gave him a hint of a smile. “It’s been a pleasure, Amamiya.” He said before finally making his exit.</p>
<p>“I wonder what the next event is going to be.” Haru asked.</p>
<p>“The final round is always some sort of one-on-one competition.” Jiro answered.</p>
<p>“Yeah, it’s going to be interesting…” At that point Ren felt a deep rumbling emanating from his abdomen. “ Oof, I’m starving. I’ll go get something to eat.”</p>
<p>“Let’s go to the cafeteria.”</p>
<p>“I actually have my own lunch today. You go ahead, I’ll see you guys later.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ren made his way back to the waiting room, which was currently empty since most people were having lunch in the cafeteria. He let out a sigh charged with relief for the peaceful moment. From his bag he pulled out a bento box and a thermos full of coffee that Sojiro had prepared for him that morning. He opened the box and found a sticky note attached to the lid; upon closer inspection, he saw the note had a message scribbled in lazy handwriting–‘<em>G</em><em>ive 'em hell, kid.’</em></p>
<p>Ren smiled briefly, but he didn’t have much time to appreciate his guardian’s affection; his senses were overpowered by the ferocious growling of his stomach.</p>
<p>Using his personas in combat drained a lot of energy; he could recover after resting overnight, but eating was the fastest way to replenish stamina in a pinch. Ren had come to learn that LeBlanc’s coffee and curry were a particularly efficient source of fuel. He sat in one of the tables, broke apart a pair of disposable chopsticks, and dug right in.</p>
<p>Ren was halfway through his lunch when Toru, Jiro, Uraraka and Ashido walked into the waiting room; for some reason, they were all wearing cheerleader uniforms.</p>
<p>“Oh, hey Ren!”</p>
<p>“Hello there.” He returned the greeting and did a double take of their attire. He was surprised, but he didn’t really mind. “You all look great in those outfits.”</p>
<p>The compliment earned him a wave of blushes from the girls, with the exception of Toru, who gleefully did a pirouette to show off her costume.</p>
<p>“I know, right? They’re so cute! I think I might make a formal petition to start a cheerleading squad for real.”</p>
<p>“Then I might finally start taking an interest in sports.”</p>
<p>“You should join too! I bet with your acrobatic skills you’d be a great cheerleader.”</p>
<p>“Mmm, I don’t know if I could pull off the skirt…”</p>
<p>They both shared a short laugh, but there was something bugging Ren. He couldn’t help but feel guilty about their encounter during the cavalry battle.</p>
<p>“Hey, Toru. I’m… I’m very sorry about tricking your team into dropping you.”</p>
<p>“As you should, that was so mean! And it actually hurt a lot.” Toru moaned with an exaggerated pout.</p>
<p>“I’ll make it up to you. How about some free LeBlanc coffee?” Ren said while shaking the half-full thermos.</p>
<p>“It’s a start.”</p>
<p>She took a seat next to Ren and accepted the drink. She didn’t seem too bothered by the incident. Ren knew Toru wasn’t the type to hold grudges, but he still felt guilty.</p>
<p>“I am seriously sorry.”</p>
<p>“Don’t sweat it. We only had a couple headbands anyway; I doubt we were going to win either way.” She reassured him. “But the others didn’t seem to take it so well though, especially Ojiro.”</p>
<p>Ren nodded silently. It made sense, since Ojiro was an outspoken critic of his past vigilantism and put a great deal of importance on honour. It dawned on him that he didn’t stop to consider how his plan would affect his reputation at school.</p>
<p>The rest of the girls joined them at the table and a conversation started about their performances during the cavalry battle and the possibilities for the final round.</p>
<p>As time passed, more students trickled into the waiting room to stand by until the reveal of the next event; the entirety of class 1-A was currently present and awaiting the final phase of the Sports Festival with a mix of anxiety and excitement.</p>
<p>Kaminari approached Ren and wrapped an arm around his shoulder</p>
<p>“Hey, Amamiya. Great moves out there. Pretty sly to use those guerrilla tactics to take out the competition. Even though you beat us, I can’t really bring myself to be mad; it was honestly kinda cool.”</p>
<p>Upon hearing that, Ida jumped up from his seat to reprimand him. “Kaminari! How can you say that?! There is nothing cool about unsportsmanlike behaviour.”</p>
<p>“Relax, man. I’m just saying; credit where credit is due and all that.”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Take a chill pill, Ida. Besides, it’s just a high school game.” Toru added.</p>
<p>Ojiro chimed in to voice his opinion. “It’s the U.A. Sports Festival, it is much more than a mere high school game. But even if it was, does that mean we should abandon sportsmanship? There is no honour in cheating.”</p>
<p>Sensing the incipient debate, Ren felt the need to defend himself. “I didn’t break any rules.”</p>
<p>“Oh, so now you care about the rules?” Todoroki cut into the conversation. He stood up and marched up to Ren until he was right in front of him. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter; you want first place? Fine, take it, but make sure you enjoy it while you can because you won’t be here for much longer.”</p>
<p>Ren was reaching the end of his rope with Todoroki’s personal attacks; he was at a loss trying to make sense of the apparent vendetta Todoroki held against him. He stood up as well to meet him face to face.</p>
<p>“What the hell is your problem with me? You don’t even know me.”</p>
<p>“I know all about the likes of you. You think you are untouchable, that you are free to do whatever you want because your hubris has lead you to mistakenly believe that your selfish motives are enough justification. All without ever giving a second thought to the broken pieces you leave behind, only caring about your ego.”</p>
<p>Ren scoffed. “You’re one to talk about egos. You are just throwing a tantrum because for once in your life you didn’t get your way. You were born with your life already sorted; an influential family name and a powerful quirk. All your life you’ve been told that you are better than everyone else, and you were naïve enough to believe it. You are just a sheltered brat with no idea of what the real world is actually like. You only hate me because you think I have defiled your idealistic idea of Heroism; you don’t really give a damn about the people, the victims, those in the streets who actually suffer.”</p>
<p>Ren closed the distance between him and Todoroki until they could feel each other’s breath. He had been steadily losing his patience until he finally threw any semblance of caution to the wind; he shot his next words like a bullet in cold blood.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> “You are just like your father.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Todoroki’s eyes widened at Ren’s comment, ire taking over him. He covered his entire arm in razor-sharp icicles and clenched his fist. Mirroring the action, Ren summoned his dagger into his hand and gripped it tightly. For a brief instant electricity suspended the moment in time, and then both of them swung at the other simultaneously with wholly harmful intent.</p>
<p>Their classmates gasped, appalled by the violence between the two, but before the attacks could connect, Sero shot out a strand of tape to bind and hold back Ren’s arm while Shoji grew extra arms to restrain Todoroki. The two boys struggled trying to free themselves, wanting to finally settle their fight once and for all.</p>
<p>“Stop this, right now!” Izuku cried. “Can’t you see that we are all on the same side? Violence won’t solve anything.”</p>
<p>“I beg to differ.” Ren said.</p>
<p>“That’s one thing we can agree on”. Todoroki added. “I’m sorry, Midoriya. But I can’t go another second being around him.”</p>
<p>“Leave him alone! Ren hasn’t done anything wrong.”</p>
<p>“How can you keep defending him? He’s a convicted criminal!</p>
<p>“He was allowed into U.A. for a reason. He’s not a criminal, he’s one of us.”</p>
<p>“So a dangerous vigilante shows up to our school and you expect us to trust him and accept him after just a few weeks?”</p>
<p>“It doesn’t matter how long it’s been. If you got to know him you’d see that he’s a good person”</p>
<p>Things started to heat up within the waiting room, and soon enough a full-blown argument erupted between the students of class 1-A.</p>
<p>Once Ren snapped out of the heat of the moment, he came to his senses, and his previous anger was replaced by guilt. He dropped his dagger and thought about what would have happened had their classmates not intervened. He couldn’t let things go on like this; as much as he disliked Todoroki, all his qualms were completely valid. He had hoped it wouldn’t come down to this, but he knew what he had to do.</p>
<p>“Enough!” Ren shouted, attracting the eyes of everyone present.</p>
<p>“Ren?” Izuku asked.</p>
<p>“It’s true.” He said. “They don’t really know me, but… none of you do, and that is my fault; I never told you the whole truth… and I think it is time.”</p>
<p>“What are you saying?”</p>
<p>“I’m saying that I can’t ask people to put their trust in me when I haven’t been completely honest. Todoroki was right, I have been playing pretend; I thought I could just bury my past and move on while acting as if never happened. But I see now that I can’t run away from it forever; my time as a vigilante is and will always be a part of me. That is why I’m going to tell you everything.”</p>
<p>The entire room went dead quiet. Regardless of their side of the argument, they were all curious about Ren’s past. Truth be told, they had all speculated about it behind his back, but now they were about to hear the real story directly from the source.</p>
<p>“Grab a sit, everyone. It’s going to be a long one.” Ren sat down and the rest of the class gathered around him with open ears. “This is the story of how I became Joker…”</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And we're back!<br/>Sorry the update took so long. I've been racking my brain trying to write this chapter; it was surprisingly challenging, but I'm happy with the result.<br/>I also want to apologise for not responding to last chapter's comments. Know that even if I can't always respond, I do read each and every one of them, and I appreciate them greatly.</p>
<p>Now some of my thoughts about the chapter. This one finally gave me the opportunity to touch on a part of Ren's character i've been wanting to explore: His grey morality and willingness to bend the rules when necessary. As someone who has been living on the fringe of Hero society, Ren can't really be expected to just fit in like a jigsaw. Of course this is bound to cause friction with his peers, and Ren is realising that he needs to reconcile both parts of him–the Hero and the Vigilante. </p>
<p>Next chapter is one I've been looking forward to for a while, 'Joker: Origin'.<br/>Thank you for reading. Till next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Strap in, ladies and gentlemen. This is a long one.</p>
<p>CW: This chapter contains mentions of abuse and suicide.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A deafening silence had inundated the interior of class A’s waiting room. Ren could feel the weight of everyone’s eyes on him; a circle of his classmates in chairs had formed around him, forcing those not fast enough to claim a chair to stand outside it. Notwithstanding, all of them were eagerly awaiting to hear the retelling of his backstory.</p>
<p>Ren had never been one to shy away from public speaking, but even he could feel the pressure of expectation. After a few seconds to mentally prepare himself, he cleared his throat and spoke up.</p>
<p>“Before anything else, there is something you need to know about my Quirk to fully understand my story.” He said. “My power is… not what is seems.”</p>
<p>“’Not what it seems’? What is that supposed to mean?” Kirishima asked.</p>
<p>“I’m sure you all must have noticed it at some point, how my Quirk feels… <em>different</em>.”</p>
<p>“Now that you mention it, the thought has come to mind a couple times.” Tokoyami said.</p>
<p>“Well, I’ve definitely never seen such a versatile quirk before… I mean, there’s the personas, the weapons, the Third Eye…” Jiro said. “you even get a cool costume built-in!”</p>
<p>“That’s true. Even Todoroki feels overloaded at times with just two abilities. But you? It’s like you have a whole deck of cards up your sleeve.”  Mina said.</p>
<p>Ren chuckled. “Yeah, that seems like an appropriate description, but… it wasn’t always like that.“</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>He smiled again as that seem to catch the attention of his audience.</p>
<p>“My Quirk first manifested a bit later than most; I was around 5 or 6 years old…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">Tokyo, 10 years ago</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The hectic city life of Tokyo was not the most accommodating for those on the younger side of juvenescence, who often lack the taste, money, or even just the self-awareness to enjoy the pleasures of the big metropolis. However, in the residential neighbourhood of Yongen-Jaya it wasn’t uncommon to see rambunctious packs of children roaming the streets and playing in the parks finding ways to keep themselves entertained.</p>
<p>It was a Sunday noon. The cerulean sky was cleared of any clouds, allowing the bright spring sun to shine unobstructed at its zenith. A young Ren Amamiya sat against the trunk of a magnolia tree to cool off under its shade. He was leafing through a mystery novel to kill the time until the arrival of his expected company. Ren and his two best friends had agreed the day prior to meet at the park to enjoy the good weather, as well as their last weekend before the beginning of the new school term.</p>
<p>After he finally reached the point of boredom with his reading material, he stood up to approach an elderly couple sitting at a nearby bench.</p>
<p>“Pardon me. Do you know what time it is, by any chance?”</p>
<p>“Of course…” The man said as he reached for the pocket of his coat hanging from the back of the bench. “I’m sorry, son. I seem to have misplaced my pocket watch.”</p>
<p>The lady accompanying him chimed by checking her own wristwatch. “I’ve got it, dear. It is just about a quarter past twelve.”</p>
<p>Ren thanked them and bowed slightly before moving towards the park’s entrance. His friends were already fifteen minutes late, which wasn’t entirely uncharacteristic of them, but they were all very excited for spending the afternoon together, leading him to surmise that some sort of mishap may have befallen them on their way to the agreed meeting place. He thought of following the route between the park and the train station in hopes of running into them, but he didn’t have to walk far before hearing two familiar voices.</p>
<p>“Don’t cry, Ann. It has to be around here somewhere; I’m sure we’ll find it.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Shiho.<em>*sniffles* </em>It’s just that I…”</p>
<p>Further down the street, Ren spotted his best friend–Shiho Suzui–consoling a crying Ann Takamaki–his other best friend. </p>
<p>“Shiho! Ann! What happened?!”</p>
<p>“Look, Ann. Ren’s here!”</p>
<p>The boy ran towards directly the sobbing girl, fearing the worst. “What is it, Ann? Where those older kids bothering you again? I will fight them again if I have to.”</p>
<p>“You mean you’re gonna get beaten up by them until they get bored and leave us alone.” Shiho said.</p>
<p>“Hey! It worked, didn’t it?”</p>
<p>“I swear to god, Ren. You’re too reckless for your own good…” The black haired girl said. “But no, it’s nothing like that. Tell him what happened, Ann.”</p>
<p>The blonde girl wiped her eyes and started nervously running her hands through one of her pigtails.</p>
<p>“You know how I really wanted a Jack Frost plushie? Well, after begging my parents for months, they finally got one for me yesterday. I was so excited I wanted to show it to you, so I was going to bring it with me today, but on the way here I put the plushie down for a second to tie my shoes here In front of the batting cages… and then when I looked back it was gone!”</p>
<p>In a typical child-like fashion, Ann recounted the tale of her lost toy as if it was the most despairful Greek tragedy.</p>
<p>Shiho put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. “Don’t worry, now that Ren is here we can all look for it and find it in no time!”</p>
<p>“But what if someone took it?”</p>
<p>“You would have noticed someone coming close to take it. You probably just forgot where you put it; you always forget stuff, Ann.”</p>
<p>“I do not!”</p>
<p>Ren cut in with haste. “There’s no time to argue. On television they always say that the first few hours after someone goes missing are the most important. We need to find Jack Frost ASAP. Operation Northern Star begins… now!”</p>
<p>“Why ‘Northern star’?”</p>
<p>“I said now!”</p>
<p>The trio set off on a quest to locate and rescue Ann’s stuffed doll. Yongen-Jaya’s labyrinthine layout would have proved a challenge to explore, but being a local, Ren knew the network of narrow backstreets and culs-de-sac like the palm of his hand. They thoroughly swept the neighbourhood, leaving no stone unturned, but in the end their efforts bore no fruit even after searching for over an hour. The group circled the area all the way back to their starting point by the batting cages, where they finally gave up, demoralised by their failure.</p>
<p>“It’s no use. We’re never gonna find it; my dear Jack Frost is… gone forever…” Ann cried, her words oozing melodrama.</p>
<p>Ren’s heart ached for Ann. It was no exaggeration when she said she had been begging her parents for months. At that time, there was no toy more coveted amongst children than a Jack Frost plushie. He wished nothing more than to be able to help her somehow.</p>
<p><em>“Come on! There has to be a clue around here. Think, Amamiya, think!” </em>Ren said to himself as he closed his eyes.<em> “I just need to…”</em></p>
<p>
  <em>“Focus.”</em>
</p>
<p>Ren opened his eyes, and everything went black. As if god had flipped a switch and turned off the sun, the world was sunk in darkness, with the exception of an intense neon-blue glow etched into the ground. He kneeled to inspect the ground closer, and he was able to discern a pattern of shimmering paw prints. He couldn’t tell why, but Ren knew that at the end of this trail, he would find what he was looking for.</p>
<p>“Ren, what are you– Hey, where are you going?! Wait, Ren!” Shiho said as she saw Ren taking off in a sprint. “Ugh, that boy never learns… Let’s go, Ann. We need to make sure he doesn’t get in trouble.” She huffed in exasperation at her male friend before dragging Ann along to go after him.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Ren was following along the blue tracks, which coincidentally led back to his original location–the park. The trail ended right by a thicket of bushes at the far end of the park. He darted towards the shrubbery and looked behind the leaves, where he found himself face to face with the perpetrator of the stuffed toy kidnapping; it was none other than a fur-coated, masked bandit.</p>
<p>“Hey there, little guy.” Ren said to the raccoon, who was looking at him with beady eyes. He slowly extended his hand as peace offering, but the sneaky animal scurried away before making contact.</p>
<p>Ren was momentarily disappointed to see the cute creature to go, but his spirits quickly recovered when he was what it had left behind. In between the foliage laid a small and plump textile snowman, which Ren recognised as Ann’s Jack Frost plushie. But that wasn’t all: the raccoon’s lair contained an entire stash of similarly stolen objects, including myriad of coins, a pair of sunglasses, a heart-shaped locket, and a small silver pocket watch.</p>
<p>Ann and Shiho caught up to Ren, but the impromptu race had left them without breath.</p>
<p>“Ren, you know you shouldn’t run off like that without a warning!” Shiho said between huffs. “What’ve you got there?”</p>
<p>Ann’s eyes lit up at the sight. “Wait a second, is that…? Jack Frost!”</p>
<p>“Ann, don’t! It’s all dirty!”</p>
<p>“I don’t care, I love him anyways.”</p>
<p>“It looks like a curious little raccoon was collecting trinkets.” Ren said before taking the rest of the items. “Let’s get these back to their rightful owners.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ann, Shiho, and Ren delivered all the found items to the nearest police box, bar the pocket watch, which they returned to the gentleman who was fortunately still sitting in the park bench. The nice elderly couple insisted on treating them to ice cream as a thank you for their trouble, which the kids gladly accepted without reservations.</p>
<p>After saying their goodbyes to the couple, the three of them sat down in a circle in the grass of the park to enjoy their frozen treat.</p>
<p>“So, Ren…” Shiho started. “how did you find that raccoon?”</p>
<p>Ren shrugged. “Oh, right. I forgot to mention it–I think I just got my Quirk.”</p>
<p>Both girls shared a look of disbelief before yelling simultaneously. “What?!”</p>
<p>“Yeah, it was pretty weird. I just closed my eyes, and when I opened them it was like—<em>poof</em>– I could just tell where I needed to go.”</p>
<p>Ann got up and ran to hug her friend. “Ren, that’s amazing! You finally got your Quirk! I was starting to fear you were gonna turn out Quirkless.” She said without thinking how that sounded. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that. We would’ve still liked you without a Quirk!”</p>
<p>“Nuh-uh, that would’ve put a wrench in my plans.” Shiho said. “Now we can actually become the best pro Hero team ever; Your Quirk is totally ninja! You’ll do the scouting and investigating with your third eye thingy, I’ll be on offence with my Stasis and our catgirl over here will take care of all the stealthy, acrobatic stuff.”</p>
<p>“I told you, I’m not a cat! I’m a panther!” Ann cried as she hugged her tail.</p>
<p>“A panther is just a big cat.”</p>
<p>“No, it’s not!”</p>
<p>Ann’s cat-like features were often the target of Shiho’s playful teasing. She was born with a mutant-type Quirk that gave her feline agility and reflexes… in addition to a second pair of ears atop her head that resembled those of a cat, as well as a matching tail. Her ears and tail were of a deep crimson colour, which provided a stark contrast with her platinum blonde hair and bright blue eyes.</p>
<p>Ren laughed at the bickering of his two friends, and finished eating his ice cream with Shiho’s words on his mind.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Third eye… I like the sound of that.”</em>
</p>
<p>“Anyway. Now that Jack Frost is safe and sound, we can actually do what we came here to do and have some fun.” Shiho said. “How about we play Heroes?”</p>
<p>Ann stood up to second the motion. “I’ll be Pixie-Bob!”</p>
<p>“I’ll be Edgeshot!” Ren said.</p>
<p>“And I’ll be All-Might!”</p>
<p>“A girl can’t be All-Might!” Ann protested.</p>
<p>“Try and stop me. I’ll destroy you with my Detroit Smash!”</p>
<p>The group of friends played around until the incipient sunset commenced tinting the sky with an ethereal orange glow. Ren was too absorbed by their game to notice how much time had passed until he saw the already lit streetlights.</p>
<p>“Oh, shoot, I lost track of time. I have to be home before five.” He stood up and headed towards the park’s exit at an accelerated pace, and turned around without stopping to wave goodbye to Ann and Shiho. “Sorry, guys. Gotta run! Goodbye!”</p>
<p>“Bye, Ren. See ya at school”</p>
<p>“And thanks for finding my plushie!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Throughout the decades since the emergence of Quirks, the battle against had indiscriminately claimed the lives of both Heroes and civilians in uncountable measure, leaving many parentless children behind. Although in recent years traditional orphanages had steadily fallen out of use in favour of more stable alternatives like foster housing. Nevertheless, a handful of orphanages scattered around Japan still remained operational; one of them being Kashiku Children’s Home–a place that became Ren’s home after his parents passed away in a tragic villain attack when he was just three years old. Soon after that, he was placed in care of the state along with many other children in similar circumstances.</p>
<p>Kashiku was often underfunded and understaffed, relying mostly on charitable donations and volunteer work to stay afloat, which meant Ren’s life enjoyed few luxuries beyond the basic necessities, although that didn’t really matter to him; his upbringing had taught him to find happiness in the small things.</p>
<p>“I’m home!” Ren shouted as he came through the door. He was in the process of taking off his shoes when the orphanage’s matron came to greet him at the vestibule, bearing a displeased frown on her face.</p>
<p>“Ren Amamiya… What did we say about being late?”</p>
<p>Ren tensed at her stern tone and started rambling to excuse himself. “I’m sorry, Miss! It’s just that I was waiting at the park for my friends, and then Ann lost Jack Frost so I had to help her, and then we went searching for it, and there was a raccoon, and– ”</p>
<p>“Whoa, whoa; easy there, little buddy. It’s okay, you barely made it in time. Just try to not cut it so close next time, alright?”</p>
<p>“I won’t, I promise!”</p>
<p>Trying to help the boy ease up, the matron brought up a piece of news she knew he would be greatly interested in.</p>
<p>“Guess what? A new box of donations arrived today, and I hear it included a couple of books…”</p>
<p>He immediately perked up. “Really?! Which ones?! I need to go check!” He was going to bolt towards the precious new literature, but he was impeded by the matron grabbing him by the shirt.</p>
<p>“Not so fast, Mister. Dinner is almost ready; you can go read the new books after, but only if you eat all your vegetables, understood?”</p>
<p>He nodded frantically and followed the woman to the dining hall, where all the kids gathered for the evening meal. Ren hastily wolfed down every single thing in his plate–even the green peppers, which he abhorred with passion– and proceeded to excuse himself from the table, fetch one of the newly arrived volumes, and retire to the non-privacy of his shared bedroom. Luckily, he there were still a few hours before bedtime, so he had enough time to enjoy a leisurely read in silence.</p>
<p>Kashiku did have an old tube television in the common area, but having to share it with dozens of kids who couldn’t agree on a program to watch made it hard to actually get any TV-watching done. That is why Ren had gravitated towards reading as his pastime of choice; it was something he could enjoy alone. Seeing how he kept mostly to himself, the staff at orphanage were afraid of him feeling isolated, so they tried to push him to participate in more social activities with the other kids, but Ren had no interest in that, for he did not feel lonely. His relationship with the other children was friendly enough, but it was never as close as it was his best friends–Shiho and Ann. He didn’t feel the need for any more friends, and had already made his peace with the fact that his age made him very unlikely to ever be adopted, as most potential parents were only looking to adopt a baby. He knew that as long as he had Shiho and Ann, he would never feel alone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">U.A , Present day</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Aww, little Ren playing Hero must’ve been so cute!” Toru said.</p>
<p>Sero was scratching his head. “Wait… so you got the third eye normally, that much I get. What about your personas?”</p>
<p>“Those didn’t come until much, much later.” Ren clarified, although it didn’t do much to rid his classmates of confusion.</p>
<p>Izuku shyly chimed in. “Ren… I didn’t know you grew up as an orphan. I’m so sorry…”</p>
<p>“You don’t have to be, really. I lived a relatively normal life. It wasn’t perfect, but whose is?” He assured him. “In fact, after manifesting my Quirk I was very hopeful for the future. I knew it wasn’t suited for combat, but I really did think I could become a supportive Hero. I definitely wasn’t U.A. material, but there were other Hero schools. I was just content with having a dream–something to look forward to. Things were going well for a long time–”</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah, heart-warming. I don’t see what’s that got to do with Joker though. What are you getting at?” Kaminari interrupted.</p>
<p>“Patience, Kaminari. It’ll make sense, just… bear with me.”</p>
<p>He wasn’t fully satisfied by the vague answer, but he sat back down, arms crossed</p>
<p>”As I was saying, things were going well for a long time, as life has taught me multiple times, good things never last.” Ren continued. “It all began when I reached middle school...”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">Tokyo, 4 years ago</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Aoyama-Itchome, this is Aoyama-Itchome.”</p>
<p>“Come on, guys. This is our stop!” Ann said as she skipped merrily out of the train, Shiho and Ren dragging their heels in tow towards the escalator leading outside the station.</p>
<p>“Ugh, I hate taking the train this early. There’s too many people…”</p>
<p>“Totally. How can you be so excited, Ann?” Shiho asked.</p>
<p>“How can you not? It’s our first day of middle school!” Ann exclaimed, while shaking her friend’s shoulders. “We are not kids anymore, this is the real deal. There’s all sorts of clubs, and we get to wear these super cool uniforms!” She said as she twirled to flaunt her new plaid skirt.</p>
<p>Ren ran a finger through the collar of his shirt to loosen it. “Not a fan of the turtleneck, but I guess the blazer is kinda cool.”</p>
<p>They kept on walking until they found themselves facing the building that was to be their place of education for the next three years. Right in front of the school’s threshold, Ren halted his step and stood for a moment to appraise the plaque next to the gate; <em>‘Shujin Academy’ </em>read the inscription.</p>
<p>He blinked a couple times to take it all in; he still couldn’t believe it was real. Shujin Academy was one of the most reputable educational institutions in Tokyo; its faculty was professed to be made up by the best trained pedagogical experts, its installations of the highest quality, and its tuition fee of equivalent stature. Both Ann and Shiho came from well-off families, but unlike them, Ren was but a mere orphan with only a couple Yen to his name. Someone like him could never afford to attend a private school like this under normal circumstances. And yet, fortune had deemed fit to grace him with an opportunity. That very same year, Shujin introduced a program offering full scholarships to underprivileged students, and thanks to his stellar grades, Ren managed to snatch one for himself.</p>
<p>Ren realised that Ann was right–this was the real deal. A diploma from such an elite academy would open a lot of doors for him in the future. He couldn’t waste this chance.</p>
<p>His feline friend’s overly enthused yelling pulled him out of his thoughts. “Hurry up, we’re going to be late!”</p>
<p>“Coming!” Ren said, fully intending to make the best of his time at Shujin.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">U.A , Present day</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ren’s narration was interrupted by an appalled gasp coming from the back of the room, startling some of the students.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong, Tsu?”</p>
<p>Everyone turned their eyes towards the amphibian girl, who was covering her mouth with both hands and had a look of sheer horror in her eyes. She slowly put her hands down and struggled briefly to find her voice.</p>
<p>“I… I recall Amamiya mentioning once that he went to Shujin Academy. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place where had I heard it, but now… I think hearing him talk about it made it come back to me.” She said. ”I finally remembered why I know of Shujin Academy.”</p>
<p>She looked at Ren; he had downcast eyes, but gave her a subtle nod to indicate her to carry on.</p>
<p>“I saw it in a news report on television a couple years back. They were running a story about a volleyball coach that had been physically and sexually abusing his students for years. I don’t remember many details, but one thing did stick with me… one of his victims ended up committing suicide.”</p>
<p>When she finished her sentence, multiple gasps echoed in the room like aftershocks of Tsuyu’s initial one.</p>
<p>Ren still had his eyes fixated on the ground. “It happened so gradually I didn’t even see it, but… all the signs were there. I don’t know how I didn’t notice earlier–I <em>should have </em>noticed earlier. Ironic, isn’t it? Even with an ultra-perceptive sixth sense I missed all the clues. If I hadn’t, then maybe things could’ve been different. I wouldn’t even be here, and you wouldn’t have to worry about me.” He said.</p>
<p>Had his classmates not been distracted by the distressing revelation, they would have seen the water gathering in Ren’s eyes. “It didn’t happen right away. When Shiho told us that she passed the try-outs for the volleyball team we were so excited for her, but shortly after something changed–with both Ann and Shiho. They seemed more distant and listless, and then… and then came the bruises… It kept escalating until it reached a boiling point in the autumn of my second year, but by the time I pieced it all together, it was already too late…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">Tokyo, 2 and a half years ago</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Despite being in great shape, and consistently getting top grades, Ren never felt any inclination towards the sporting or academic clubs. But even so, he did not want to join the Going Home Club either, so he opted to join the Music Club instead, hoping to develop his creativity.</p>
<p>After that day’s Music Club meeting, he and two other students were tasked with tidying up the music room. Ren was setting aside the chairs in the room to sweep the floors while the other boys stood by the side chatting with each other without showing any intent to help him.</p>
<p>“Hey, Amamiya.”</p>
<p>“Yes, Takanashi?”</p>
<p>“You’re friends with Takamaki, right?”</p>
<p>“What of it?”</p>
<p>“You spend so much time with her and you still haven’t made a move, are you gay or something?”</p>
<p>Ren was no stranger to ridicule from others at school. Due to his poor upbringing and Ann’s ethnic background, the two of them had been constant victims of ostracization from their peers for years; even Shiho was often a target as well simply by virtue of association. Ren refused to give the bully the satisfaction, so he ignored his comments and carried on with his cleaning duty, but Takanashi had no intention of dropping the subject.</p>
<p>“Maybe you’re just intimidated… You know what they say about foreign women, they get around a lot. I’ve heard she was even making eyes at Kamoshida.” The boy said in an attempt to taunt him. “Honestly, she’s such a slut. I bet she’d even let me have a go if I ask nicely.”</p>
<p>Before Takanashi had even finished his sentence, Ren had him by the collar up against a wall. “What did you just say?”</p>
<p>“I said–”</p>
<p>“Enough.” Said a voice from the open door frame. It was Mr. Ushimaru, Ren’s social studies teacher. “Takanashi, Sakoda, would you please excuse us? I need to have a word with Amamiya.”</p>
<p>The two students left the room, leaving Ren alone with the teacher.</p>
<p>“Mr. Amamiya, I thought we had made ourselves clear last time. Any more fights and your scholarship will be rescinded.”</p>
<p>“But they started it, they were saying–”</p>
<p>“I don’t care what they were saying. You were given a special opportunity to attend this school, and as such you are held to a higher standard. Instead of going around picking fights, you should put your head down and be thankful for the generosity you were given.”</p>
<p>“I…” Ren started, but realising it was futile, he bit his tongue instead. “I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”</p>
<p>“It better not, Amamiya. You are on thin ice. Now finish cleaning up and leave, you’ve got homework for tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“Yes, sir.”</p>
<p>Mr. Ushimaru left and Ren obeyed without protest. After he was done tidying the music room, he departed the practice to go the main building via the courtyard, where he ran into Ann and Shiho sitting at a bench by the vending machines.</p>
<p>“Hey guys, what’s up?”</p>
<p>“Oh, Ren! I’m glad you’re here; maybe you can help me talk some sense into Shiho.”</p>
<p>“I told you, I’m fine; I just fell during practice. Besides, they finally made me a starter on the team. I can’t slack off now.”</p>
<p>“But Shiho, I don’t like to see you getting hurt.” Ann said. “Tell her, Ren.“</p>
<p>Once he was closer to her, Ren finally saw what had Ann so upset. Shiho had a very large and dark bruise above her left eye. “Shiho, that doesn’t look good. Are you ok? What happened?”</p>
<p>“It’s just a regular old volleyball injury. There’s no need to worry.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure you’re not overexerting yourself?”</p>
<p>“I’ll be fine. Besides–no pain, no gain– am I right?” She said with weak smile. “I know you guys worry, and I appreciate it, but this is important to me, so I have to work extra hard for it… I’ve never seen my parents as proud as when I told them I made the team. I need to be better than ever to keep my starter position. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have practice.”</p>
<p>After she left, Ren took Shiho’s stead in the bench.</p>
<p>“I can’t help but worry about her…” Ann sighed.</p>
<p>“What about you, Ann? How are you holding up?”</p>
<p>“Me? I’m perfectly fine! Why do you ask?”</p>
<p>After all their years of friendship, if Ren had to say Ann’s biggest weakness, it would definitely be her terrible acting. He could tell that Ann’s smile was hollow, a deflection to keep him from worrying. He decided not to point out the irony.</p>
<p>“Ann, you know I’m here for you if you need, right? No matter what.”</p>
<p>“Of course I know, silly–you’re my best friend! What brought this on?”</p>
<p>Before Ren could answer, her phone buzzed, distracting her from the conversation. Ren detected a brief flash of anguish in Ann’s eyes as she checked the message notification, but it vanished as fast as it came.</p>
<p>“Whoops, I have to go.” She said with forced laughter, to which Ren responded with a frown. “Sorry to leave you hanging, Ren. Maybe you could come over tonight and help me with my Japanese homework? Miss Kawakami has been getting on my case since last exam.” When she noticed Ren’s lack of reaction, she decided to use her ultimate weapon of persuasion–the pout. “Pretty please?”</p>
<p>Ren sighed. Even though he had led her to believe the opposite, he wasn’t affected by Ann’s pout, he just felt sorry for her whenever she was desperate enough to attempt using it. “Sure. Can’t have you falling behind and leaving me to go onto the third year by myself.”</p>
<p>“You’re the best, Ren. See you tonight!”</p>
<p>Once left alone with his thoughts, Ren began turning over the conversation in his head. I had just dawned on him just how often Shiho was showing up with injuries after volleyball practice. She also seemed to be extra exhausted lately… come to think of it… Mishima was on the volleyball team too, wasn’t he? Ren couldn’t recall the last time he had seen the boy without any bandages.</p>
<p>Finally having laid it all out in front of him, it didn’t take him long to connect the dots.   There was definitely something fishy going on in those volleyball trainings that needed to be addressed. Knowing it would probably be pointless to bring this directly to coach Kamoshida, Ren decided to share his concerns with the principal the next day.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ren found himself outside the door of Mr. Kobayakawa's office first thing in the morning. There was still half an hour before classes started, but this was the only available time to meet with the principal without an appointment. A secretary walked him into the room, where the principal greeted him offered him a seat.</p>
<p>“Very well. What is it that you wanted to talk to me about, Mr. Amamiya?”</p>
<p>“Well, to be perfectly honest, I’m a bit concerned about Mr. Kamoshida’s coaching style. You see, I have a couple friends in the volleyball team and I often see them covered in bruises. I wonder if perhaps he’s working them a bit too hard.”</p>
<p>“Well, a few bruises and scratches are not uncommon in a sport like volleyball, especially when playing at the level of an Olympian-calibre athlete like Mr. Kamoshida. He didn’t take the national championship five times in a row by settling for anything less than the best performance.”</p>
<p>“I understand, sir. I’m just saying that if left unchecked, too much pressure could have some negative consequences on the kids in the volleyball team. On top of that, it feels like it’s actually been getting worse lately. If Mr. Kamoshida has the best interest of his students in mind he should–”</p>
<p>“Excuse me? Are you implying that Mr. Kamoshida has ulterior motives in his training methods?”</p>
<p>Something in Ren’s sentence had seemingly set off a sudden shift in Mr. Kobayakawa’s demeanour. The man’s usual apathetic expression was now incredibly severe.</p>
<p>“What? No. I was just saying that–”</p>
<p>“Let me make something absolutely clear, Amamiya. Suguru Kamoshida is an upstanding pillar of the Shujin Academy community; he has done a lot of good for this institution. All the accusations against him are nothing but baseless and frivolous rumours.”</p>
<p>Ren narrowed his eyes at the unexpected reaction of the principal. What the hell was he talking about?</p>
<p>“Accusations?”</p>
<p>The principal ignored Ren’s questioned and instead signalled towards the door. “If that is all, I suggest you get going; the volleyball rally will be starting soon. Good day, Mr. Amamiya.”</p>
<p>Accurately perceiving the empty pleasantries, Ren left the office without returning the farewell.</p>
<p>He would have been frustrated to come out of that meeting empty handed, but the principal had unwittingly given him a clue–there had been previous accusations of abuse against Mr. Kamoshida. That gave a lot more credit to what until now were merely vague suspicions. He needed to dig deeper to get to the bottom of the matter, and he had just the place to find answers.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was the annual volleyball rally at Shujin academy, and the boys’ team was engaged in an exhibition match against a teachers team lead by Kamoshida himself. As it was to be expected from a team of middle-schoolers, there was not much they could do against a former Olympian. Watching from the sidelines, Ren wondered why anyone would find any enjoyment in such a one-sided match, but if the cheers from the spectators were any indication, the volleyball coach’s popularity was more than enough to keep them entertained.</p>
<p>Despite being ahead by a sizable lead, Kamoshida still treated each play as if it was the game point of a championship match. The opposite side served, he was passed the ball, and spiked it with all his strength, propelling it at astronomical speed right into Yuuki Mishima’s face.</p>
<p>Mishima collapsed upon contact with the ball, and the rest of his team ran to check on him.</p>
<p>“Oops, my bad. Sorry, Mishima, are you alright? ”</p>
<p>“He’s bleeding, coach.”</p>
<p>“He should be taken to the nurse’s office–”</p>
<p>“I’ll take him.”</p>
<p>Ren stood up and went to help Mishima up, he then supported him on his shoulder and guided him to the nurse’s office. When they arrived, the school nurse was nowhere to be found, so Ren improvised a method to reduce the swelling using a washcloth wrapped around a cold drink from the vending machine. He reached out with his hand to apply the makeshift cold compress, but the gesture unintentionally caused the meek boy to flinch.</p>
<p>“Sorry. Here, press this against the bump.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, but I’m fine.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure? That was a pretty bad hit.”</p>
<p>“It’s not a big deal, I’m used to it.”</p>
<p>“You’re used to getting hit?”</p>
<p>Mishima became visibly nervous. “W-well, you know… From training.”</p>
<p>“Training, huh? How exactly is Mr. Kamoshida training you?”</p>
<p>“It’s not what you think.”</p>
<p>“Mishima, please–I know what abuse looks like; I’ve grown up in an Orphanage full of kids who were trying to get away from your exact situation.”</p>
<p>“Abuse?! Certainly not!”</p>
<p>“Is he forcing you to keep quiet?”</p>
<p>“That’s…”</p>
<p>“Ah, Mishima.” Kamoshida said as he burst into the room. “Just wanted to check on you, but it seems like you’re already back in shape. I’ll be expecting you at team practice tonight as usual.”</p>
<p>Ren put himself in between the coach and Mishima. “Are you seriously expecting him to practice right after you almost knock him out with a spike to the face?”</p>
<p>“huh? I don't remember asking you a goddamn thing.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, coach. I’m not feeling very well, I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it to practice.” Mishima responded.</p>
<p>“Come on, Mishima. How can you have any hopes of getting better if you are always giving up?”</p>
<p>“I’m not, I– ”</p>
<p>“If I don’t see you there, you’re out of the team.”</p>
<p>“Are you deaf? He said he’s not feeling well.” Ren said as he took a step towards the much taller teacher and tensed his fists. </p>
<p>“I suggest you keep your nose out of other people’s business, Amamiya. One wrong move and you can say goodbye to your scholarship.”</p>
<p>Ren was about to retort but Mishima chimed in to defuse the situation.</p>
<p>“It’s alright, coach. I’ll go…”</p>
<p>“Good, don’t be late.”</p>
<p>Kamoshida gave one last disdainful look at Ren before departing the nurse’s office. Once the coach was out of earshot, Ren heard Mishima sigh.</p>
<p>“There’s no point.” Mishima said.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Ren asked confused.</p>
<p>“I know you’re trying to help, Amamiya. But proving that he’s physically abusing us is meaningless… because they already know.” He said. “The principal, our parents… They all know about the abuse, and they don’t care. They only care about the prestige Kamoshida’s volleyball team brings to Shujin, and how they can use it to increase enrolment and tuition fees. Some former members of the volleyball team even tried taking it to the police, but the school used its influence to avoid any charges against Kamoshida.”</p>
<p>Ren paused with his mouth agape in disbelief. Everyone knew and did nothing about it? Parents just stood idly by as their children suffered? No, that was just not possible. “You can’t be serious.”</p>
<p>“Amamiya, please. Try to understand my position. Let it go; you’re just going to make it worse for everybody.”</p>
<p>Without any further word, Mishima left to get ready for volleyball practice. Ren was still trying to wrap his head around the situation. The school had been enabling Kamoshida’s abuse of the students for years; it had gotten to the point where Mishima had already lost all hope and resigned to a life of abuse under the volleyball coach. Even if Mishima had asked him to, Ren just couldn’t leave things go on as they were; he had to do something to put a stop to it, there was no way things could get worse than they already were.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The next day, all the second year students at Shujin found themselves sitting on foldable chairs inside the gym that would on occasion serve as assembly hall, where they had been called for a  <em>‘surprise lecture’</em> from an undisclosed special guest.</p>
<p>“A volleyball rally, a special lecture… are there ever any actual classes at this school?” Shiho asked.</p>
<p>“You won’t hear me complaining, this surprise assembly saved me from a maths exam.” Ann said.</p>
<p>Shiho shrugged. “Yeah, I guess it’s better than the alternative.”</p>
<p>“Who even is this ‘special guest’, anyway?”</p>
<p> “I hope it’s not another one of those lame anti-smoking PSAs–they only make me want to pick up smoking out of spite.”</p>
<p>“Shh! Be quiet you three!” Miss Kawakami said from the row behind them.</p>
<p>“I didn’t even say anything!” Ren objected.</p>
<p>“Yeah, <em>Ren</em>. Be quiet.” Shiho said, putting exaggerated emphasis on the name.</p>
<p>“Stop talking so much, <em>Ren</em>.” Ann said, imitating her.</p>
<p>Ren crossed his arms and sunk into his seat. “I hate you both.”</p>
<p>The two girls shared a giggle at the boy’s expense before turning the attention at the master of ceremonies for this event, who had just taken the stage.</p>
<p>“Good morning, ladies and gentleman. You all know me, coach Kamoshida; I’m here to introduce a very special guest, and a personal friend of mine. It is none other than… the number two Hero: Endeavour!”</p>
<p>From the side of the stage emerged a colossally built man with flaming facial hair. Ren mused that if the fire wasn’t a strong enough deterrent for potential villains, his intimidating scowl could certainly do the trick.</p>
<p>“Endeavour, so nice of you to join us today.”</p>
<p>“You’re welcome.” The Hero replied curtly.</p>
<p>“Alright, why don’t you start by telling us a bit about yourself?”</p>
<p>“My name is Endeavour, and I’m currently the number two Hero, but I will soon be the number one.”</p>
<p>Kamoshida waited for a moment expecting the pro Hero to elaborate, but when he realised no more words were coming he awkwardly attempted to laugh it off. “Ah, classic Endeavour. I meant tell us something more personal; for example, what was your motivation to become a Hero?”</p>
<p>“To be the number one.”</p>
<p>“Er, Okay…” He extended the word to try and come up with a better question to get Endeavour talking. “Do you have any advice for the kids? What can they do to help the Heroes support the community?”</p>
<p>“Stay out of the way and let us do our jobs.”</p>
<p>Kamoshida facepalmed at the pro Hero’s ineptitude for showmanship. The audience was so silent, the chirping of a cricket-Quirked boy filled the room.</p>
<p>“So… who wants to see Endeavour roar fire like a dragon?”</p>
<p>All the students cheered in unison and Kamoshida wiped the sweat off his forehead relieved to have salvaged that train wreck of a presentation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>After the lecture, Endeavour retreated to the back of the stage without even addressing the audience. Shiho and Ann lingered in their seats discussing the show.</p>
<p>“… not gonna lie, the fire powers are pretty cool, but there’s just something off-putting about him.”</p>
<p>“Yeah… It doesn’t matter how hard he tries, he’s just not as approachable as All-Might.”</p>
<p>“What did you think, Ren?” Ann asked. “…Ren?” She turned to her side only to find Ren’s seat was empty.</p>
<p>The dark-haired boy had furtively slipped backstage with an objective in mind. If what Mishima said was true, neither the school nor the police had any intention of putting an end to Kamoshida’s abuse, but there was still one guild of individuals with the goal to protect the innocent. Pro Heroes worked via agencies; there was no way for a civilian to directly request help from a Hero. But now, Ren had the number two standing just a few minutes away from him. This could be his only chance to ask for help.  He had to admit, Endeavour would not have been his first choice. He didn’t seem very friendly, but at least he definitely seemed determined to do his job. It was now or never. He went through the side stage and found Endeavour having a heated conversation with a suited man.</p>
<p>“What did you expect when you hired a PR firm? I’m just doing my job.”</p>
<p>“I definitely didn’t expect to be treated like a circus monkey by a bunch of school children.” Endeavour said.</p>
<p>“Listen, All Might would’ve gone out there and charmed the hell out of that audience without breaking a sweat.” The man said. “Here's the deal, strength and Villain arrests are not the only metrics for the Hero Billboard Chart. If you want to surpass All Might, you’re going to have to learn how to play the popularity game. Now suck it up and get ready, you are scheduled to make appearances in 5 other schools this week.” He proceeded to put a finger to his Bluetooth earpiece. “Hello? Yes, of course he would love to be in your hot sauce commercial. How much are we talking about…”</p>
<p>The mean disappeared through the opposite end of the room, and Ren took the chance to make his move. He immediately regretted it when Endeavour reacted less than pleased with his presence. “Who the hell are you?”</p>
<p><em>“Off to a good start…” </em>Ren thought. <em>“Here goes nothing.”</em></p>
<p>“My name is Ren Amamiya. I’m a student here at Shujin.”</p>
<p>“And what are you doing here? Do you want an autograph?”</p>
<p>“Um, not really, no…I actually wanted to ask for your help.”</p>
<p>The Hero raised an eyebrow. “Help? Help with what?”</p>
<p>“Mr. Endeavour. Are you really friends with Mr. Kamoshida?”</p>
<p>“I’ve never met your teacher before this morning, kid.”</p>
<p>Ren thought that made sense. Of course someone like him would brag about something so obviously false.   </p>
<p>“Oh, that’s a relief… It’s just that I… I have reason to believe that Mr. Kamoshida is physically abusing the volleyball team.”</p>
<p>Endeavour didn’t visibly react at his statement. “That’s a serious accusation. Your teacher seems like a clown, but I don’t know if he’s the type to do that kind of thing. Do you have evidence?”</p>
<p>“Not at the moment, but I was hoping that–”</p>
<p>“Look, kid, it doesn’t matter; even if it’s true, I can’t help you.” He said with a dismissive wave of the hand. “Your situation sounds bad and all, but I don’t have time for that kind of stuff. We Heroes have our hands already full with saving people like you from Villains and natural disasters–you know, real problems.  If do you have any proof about your teacher’s abuse, I suggest you go take it to the police; they’ll take care of it.”</p>
<p>“The police? B-but I–”</p>
<p>“I have to get going, kid. I hope you sort this mess out. By the way, stop by my merch table, go get yourself a t-shirt or something.”</p>
<p>Endeavour left, but Ren remained in place trying to swallow his dejection. Was that really it? He couldn’t be helped because his problems weren’t <em>real problems</em>? Abused children were apparently not worth a Hero’s time. He wanted to immediately get to devising a new plan of action against Kamoshida, but he needed to get back before someone noticed his absence.</p>
<p>Disappointed, he returned to the front of the gym to see Ann, Shiho, and Mishima talking together.</p>
<p>“There you are, Ren. Where did you go?”</p>
<p>“I, uh… went to the bathroom.” He lied. “So what are you guys talking about?”</p>
<p>“Not much, we were just about to leave for volleyball practice. Good bye, guys.”</p>
<p>Ren grabbed her hand to prevent her from leaving. “You don’t have to, Shiho.”</p>
<p>“You know I do. Volleyball is the only thing I’m good at.” She slipped her hand out of his, and then she and Mishima took their leave without looking back.</p>
<p>Ren wanted to stop her and tell her how that wasn’t true–how she had so much more value beyond volleyball–but he knew she wouldn’t believe it. Kamoshida’s influence and her parents’ expectations had led Shiho to completely tie her sense of self-worth to volleyball. She had even abandoned her childhood dream of becoming a Hero.</p>
<p>He and Ann were left alone in silence, but it didn’t last long before the buzzing of Ann’s smartphone broke it. She glanced at the push notification–and for a fraction of a second–Ren saw her façade falter again, revealing dread in her eyes.</p>
<p>“I have to go… see ya tomorrow.” She said.</p>
<p>“Ann, wait.”</p>
<p>Ren’s words fell on deaf ears; she moving towards the school gate. He couldn’t leave her alone, so he followed behind her. He hopped on the train heading towards Shibuya Station, which was Ann’s stop. The moment the train doors opened, he sprinted towards the escalators and maneuvered through the afternoon rush-hour crowd hoping to catch her. He exited the Teikyu building and from the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of platinum blonde pigtails standing out amongst the sea of commuters. She stood with her back to him and her mobile phone against her ear.</p>
<p>“Will you please give it a rest?! I told you, I’m not feeling well.” Ann spoke into the device.</p>
<p>“Wait, what…?! But you promised…This has nothing to do with Shiho, leave her out of this!...Hello?!”</p>
<p>Ann hung up the phone and curled up with her head against her knees. Ren walked up to her.</p>
<p>“Ren? What are you doing here?”</p>
<p>“It was him, wasn’t it?”</p>
<p>“It’s not what you think–”</p>
<p>“I know.”</p>
<p>“…”</p>
<p>“It’s ok, Ann. I’m here, just… talk to me.”</p>
<p>He put an arm behind her and guided her to a more secluded spot where they could hide from prying eyes–the Big Bang Burger in Central Street. Ren ordered a glass of water for Ann and they sat at opposite sides of a booth all the way in the back. Neither of them spoke for a long while. Ann kept fidgeting with the tip of her pigtail as she did whenever she was nervous. Ren did not want to pressure her, so he patiently waited until she felt ready to speak.</p>
<p>“You were right, that was Mr. Kamoshida on the other line…” She finally said. “It all started last year when I accompanied Shiho to volleyball practice one day. He tried to get closer to me after that… he would ask me lots of questions, and he started offering me rides to school… At first I tried humouring him; I thought he was just a normal guy trying to play the cool, friendly teacher, but then he started asking for more. He asked for my phone number, a selfie, he wanted to meet me outside of school, and that call just now… he told me to go to his place tonight–you know what it means. If I turn him down, he’s going to kick Shiho off the team.”</p>
<p>She grasped tightly at her knees in an attempt to keep her composure, but she couldn’t hide the quiver in her voice.</p>
<p>“I told myself this was all for Shiho’s sake. I know how much that starting position means to her. And she has done so much for me; I just want to help her, but…  I can’t take it anymore, I hate him so much!”</p>
<p>The overwhelming combination of anger and frustration manifested in the form of tears streaming down her face.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what to do…”</p>
<p>“Don’t go, Ann.” Ren said. “You know Shiho wouldn’t want you to do this. You’re more important to her than a stupid starting position.”</p>
<p>“I know, I just… I feel trapped…”</p>
<p>Ren moved to the other side of the booth to embrace his friend.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, you got me and Shiho. We’ll get through this together. We’ll talk with her tomorrow and sort this whole thing out, you’ll see.”</p>
<p>She rested her head on his shoulder until she had no more tears left to cry.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Ren. I feel a little better already.”</p>
<p>“Do you want me to walk you home?”</p>
<p>She nodded silently. “Can we stop for crepes on the way?”</p>
<p>“Er…” Ren hesitated.</p>
<p>“My treat.”</p>
<p>“Crepes sound delicious.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> Volleyball practice had just ended, but Shiho remained at the school gym running drills to improve her form. Just as finished her tenth repetition, she was interrupted by Mishima.</p>
<p>“Suzui…”</p>
<p>“What is it?”</p>
<p>“Mr. Kamoshida is calling for you… he’s at the PE faculty office.”</p>
<p>“What did he say?”</p>
<p>“I-I don’t know.” He said. “I have to go. Please, excuse me...”</p>
<p>Mishima left, leaving her with a frightening feeling of foreboding; Kamoshida had never asked to see her alone before. She knew it would be bad, but it would only be worse if she refused to comply. She went to the office, where the coach was expecting her sitting at his desk.</p>
<p>“Sorry to call you in out of the blue like this, Suzui.”</p>
<p>“Um… What did you need me for, coach?”</p>
<p>“You know, I couldn’t help but notice that your performance has been dropping quite a lot lately.” He said. “At this rate, I’ll have to rethink my starter list for the next game.”</p>
<p> “B-but coach…!”</p>
<p>“Don’t panic. I’m going to give you the opportunity to keep your position… you just need to do a little something for me…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ann and Ren sat in Japanese class, unable to focus on the lesson of the day. He had a tinge of anxiety; Shiho didn’t meet them that morning for the train ride to school–in fact, she hadn’t answered to any of their text messages since yesterday. He began fearing the worse, but he tried to shake it out of his head; there were many possible innocuous explanations for her lack of response. He needed to stay positive. Things were going to get better; after talking things out with Ann yesterday, they were going to talk with Shiho openly, and hopefully convince her to quit the volleyball team.</p>
<p>Miss Kawakami was trying her best to deliver her lecture in spite of the lack of enthusiasm from her students.</p>
<p>“The Japanese word for ‘nouveau riche’ originates from a shogi term. It shares a kanji with the word ‘gold’ written on the back of the pawn–”</p>
<p>Out of the blue, one of the kids stood up and pointed at the window facing the courtyard. Ren looked in the direction and saw a figure standing at the brink of the school’s rooftop.</p>
<p>“Oh my god, what is she doing up there?!”</p>
<p>“Is she going to jump?”</p>
<p>“Hey, isn’t that…?”</p>
<p>“SHIHO!”</p>
<p>Ann and Ren rushed to the hallway window, where they saw Shiho take step forward, jumping off the edge. They instinctively looked away, but the sound of the impact of her body against the ground made their stomachs turn.</p>
<p>“No… Why…?”</p>
<p>Ann took off running towards the courtyard. Ren followed suit, pulling out his phone and calling an ambulance as he ran. When they arrived outside, a crowd had already gathered around a barely conscious Shiho. Instead of providing help, the onlookers were all gawking or filming with their phones. Ann pushed and shoved her way next to her friend and kneeled beside her.</p>
<p>“Shiho…”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, I… I can’t take this… anymore…” She said before closing her eyes.</p>
<p>“No, Shiho! Don’t fall asleep, stay with me!”</p>
<p>A couple of paramedics arrive at the scene and loaded Shiho into a stretcher.</p>
<p>“We need someone to go with her. Are there any–”</p>
<p>“Me! I’ll go!” Ann said immediately.</p>
<p>After the ambulance drove off, Kamoshida–who had been observing the whole thing without stepping in–began dispersing the crowd of students.</p>
<p>“Okay, show’s over. Everyone back to class. Move!”</p>
<p>Once the initial commotion was over, Kamoshida rushed back to his office to prepare for damage control.</p>
<p>“That bitch actually jumped?!” He said to himself. “Ugh, this is going to be such a pain to smooth over…”</p>
<p>“So that’s what this is to you, huh? A pain.”</p>
<p>The teacher looked behind him to find Ren and Mishima standing in the room.</p>
<p>“Amamiya, Mishima.” He said trying to play off his previous display of anger. “What do you want? Can’t you see I’m busy?”</p>
<p>“What did you do to her?!” Ren asked.</p>
<p>“Hm? What in the world are you talking about?”</p>
<p>“Cut the bullshit, I know this is your fault!”</p>
<p>“I have no idea what you’re implying–”</p>
<p>“He’s right…” Mishima said. “You… you ordered me to call Suzui here… I can only imagine what you did to her…!”</p>
<p>For a few seconds, Kamoshida only glanced back and forth between the two boys, and then he started laughing manically. “You are such a rat, Mishima. Alright, I confess–it was me–so what? There’s nothing you can do about it. You have no proof; it’s your word against mine.”</p>
<p>“You bastard!” Ren cocked his fist and ran towards the man.</p>
<p>“Ren, no!” Mishima said as he grabbed onto him to hold him back. He struggled a bit, but he successfully managed to calm Ren down.</p>
<p>“Oh, my… did you just <em>threaten</em> me, Amamiya?”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Yes… a young delinquent like you just tried to assault a trusted member of the faculty like me… I had no other choice but to defend myself.”</p>
<p>“What the hell are you–argh!”</p>
<p>Suddenly, Ren felt the air escape his lungs as Kamoshida’s fist connected with his gut and fell to his knees. He tried to stand back up, but another incoming punch hit him in the face, drawing blood from his nose and sending him back down. The volleyball coach bent down and grabbed ren by the collar of his uniform.</p>
<p>“Get this into your thick skull, Amamiya. I am the king of this castle, and I am free to do as I please. I will make you regret ever challenging me.” Kamoshida said. “You two can consider yourselves expelled. I’m reporting you at the next board meeting.”</p>
<p>“You don’t have the authority to make a decision like that!” Mishima cried.</p>
<p>“I already told you, I can do whatever I want. I’ve got the principal by the balls. Besides, who would want to side with two problem students like you two?”</p>
<p>“No… you can’t …”</p>
<p>“Quit acting like a victim, Mishima. You knew what I was doing and yet you still lead Suzui to my office. You are an accomplice in all of this.”</p>
<p>“Let’s get out of here.” Ren recovered from the floor and pushed Mishima towards the exit. “You won’t get away with this.”</p>
<p>“I already did.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mishima insisted on accompanying when he said he was going to the hospital to meet Ann and Shiho. The majority of their train ride was spent by Mishima begging Ren for forgiveness for his ancillary role in Kamoshida’s misdeed, while Ren tried to reassure him that he did not blame him at all. Eventually, they arrived at the waiting area of emergency room Tokyo Metropolitan Hospital where Ann sat restless her seat. She ran up to Ren when she saw him coming in, but stopped in her tracks upon sighting the state of his bruised nose.</p>
<p>“What the hell happened to you?!”</p>
<p>“That’s not important, how is Shiho?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know. I called her parents on the way here; they’re in her room talking with the doctor right now. They won’t let me come in.”</p>
<p>“Okay, you two sit down and stay calm. We can only wait for the doctors to do their thing.” He said to Ann and Mishima “I’m going to get us something to drink.”</p>
<p>Under the pretence of paying a visit to the vending machine, Ren sneaked away from the waiting area and into the hallways of the ER. He used the power of the Third Eye to find Shiho’s room; once he did, he put his ear against the door to eavesdrop inside it with his enhanced hearing.</p>
<p>“…I’m very sorry to tell you this, Mr. And Mrs. Suzui. Shiho is in a coma; she has suffered severe physical trauma all over her body–there’s multiple fractures across the lower limbs, as well as the thoracic and lumbar spine, which seems to have cause considerable neurological damage–”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, doctor. That sounds bad, but I’m not quite sure what it means…”</p>
<p>“Essentially, it means that it is highly unlikely that she will ever regain consciousness. We can keep her on life support indefinitely, but the chances of seeing any significant changes in brain activity are slim to none. I know this is very hard, and you can take all the time that you need, but you must consider the possibility of withdrawing life support.”</p>
<p>“No, there’s no way… my baby…”</p>
<p>“Doctor, you must be mistaken. She’s just a child, there has to be some way!”</p>
<p>Ren had to retract away from the door as the nausea rose through his body and stumbled after his legs as he attempted to go back to the waiting room. This couldn’t be happening. This had to be a nightmare; soon enough he would wake up and everything would go back to normal.</p>
<p>Ann found him as he wandered aimlessly through the hospital floor</p>
<p>“Ren?” She asked.</p>
<p>“Sorry, I couldn’t find the vending machine” He said. “It’s just… I’m having some trouble processing all of this.”</p>
<p>“I know what you mean. This is just so… unfair. Shiho didn’t deserve any of this. She’s such a good person… it should have been me instead.”</p>
<p>“No, Ann. Don’t say that.”</p>
<p>“But it’s true! This is all my fault… If I had just gone to meet Kamoshida yesterday she wouldn’t have jumped. She would still be here.” Ann</p>
<p>“Ann, stop it! None of this is your fault. There is only one person to blame, and you’re not it.”</p>
<p>He held her in her arms trying to comfort her. She finally let her emotions loose and broke down sobbing into his chest.</p>
<p>“I know… but it’s easier to blame myself, because… I can’t bear to think about how he’s going to walk away from this scot-free.”</p>
<p>“He won’t, Ann. I promise.”</p>
<p>“But how can you know?”</p>
<p>“I just do. Just like I know that Shiho will pull through, because she’s strong.” He said. “Remember how the other kids have always picked on us for being different? Shiho never cared about any of that; she still wanted to be our friend. And even after everyone started picking on her too for being close to us, she kept on standing up for us–She’s always been strong for us, and now it’s our turn to be strong for her.”</p>
<p>Remembering all the moments the three of them had shared brought a smile to surface amongst the tears. </p>
<p>“You’re right. She’s going to make it. She’s too stubborn to let something like this take her down.” She said before they let go of each other.</p>
<p>“Visiting hours are almost over. My parents are coming to pick me up, do you want us to give you a lift back to Yongen?”</p>
<p>“Thanks, but I think I’m going to walk Mishima home. He seems to have taken this pretty hard too.”</p>
<p>“You really are too nice.” She stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him goodbye on the cheek. “I’ll see you later then. Get home safe.”</p>
<p>Just as he said, Ren accompanied Mishima in his train home, and then took a train of his own to head back to Kashiku. When he arrived, he made a beeline straight to his bed and got under the covers.</p>
<p>Now that he was alone, it was his time to feel guilty. He told Ann that everything would be alright in the end, but truthfully, he knew that wasn’t true. He wondered if he should’ve told Ann about the conversation he overheard between the doctor and Shiho’s parents. Whether he did or not wouldn’t change the circumstances. Shiho was gone, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. There was no one to ask for help, and as much as he would like to care of Kamoshida with his own hands, that was simply not possible. Even in his Quirklessness, the physical strength of the volleyball coach was incomparably higher than a teenager like him. He had no recourse left whatsoever.  He had never felt so powerless in his life.</p>
<p>That night, Ren cried himself to sleep.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kinda hard to believe that it's already been over a month since last chapter. Life has been too hectic. I've been trying to sneak a little bit of writing on my scarce free time whenever possible; It took a while, but the chapter is finally here. Still, i pledge to do my best to not allow such a big gap between updates again.</p>
<p>As for the actual chapter, I originally intended to have Ren's backstory all in one single chapter, but after realising it would have been unbearably long I decided to split it. Next chapter, 'Joker: Origin – Part 2'</p>
<p>PS: Bonus points for whoever spots the Star Wars reference.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sunlight shining right into his face compelled Ren to open his eyes, even though he wanted to hold on to his precious time of rest. He tucked his head underneath the duvet so as to shield himself from the annoying source of light and carry on with his slumber uninterrupted, but he was still unable fall back asleep, for the loud sound of wind blowing suddenly filled the room.</p><p>
  <em>“Did I leave the window open?” </em>
</p><p>He conceded the fight and resigned himself to getting up to close the window, but when Ren popped his head outside the covers he saw no window had been left open–in fact, there was no window at all.</p><p>The roof, walls and all the furniture inside the room had banished; Ren found himself surrounded by open sky with colours of twilight. He hesitantly stood up from his bed and treaded towards the edge of the room, not ready for what he would see. He wasn’t in the orphanage anymore–he was now standing on the top floor of a building so tall it raised above the clouds, and below his feet laid the undisturbed cityscape of Tokyo. He wasn’t usually afraid of heights, but the disorientation caused by the unknown surroundings induced a vertigo attack on him. He stumbled backwards and fell flat on his butt.</p><p>He quickly recovered from the fall, rubbed a hand on his lower back and then poked his head over the edge once more to double check he was not imagining things. Indeed, beyond the bedroom he saw tower blocks and skyscrapers; concrete and asphalt extended as far as the eye could see.</p><p>
  <em>“Whoa! This is the most vivid dream ever…”</em>
</p><p> All of a sudden, he heard the delicate flutter of a butterfly's wings. He looked up and saw a blue butterfly hovering over him. Mesmerised by its beauty, he reached with a hand to touch it, but the butterfly backed away and flew down the staircase on the other corner of the room, leaving a glimmering trail on its path. For a moment, Ren stood uncertain of what to do; he couldn’t put his finger on what it was, but he felt as if the butterfly was beckoning for him.</p><p>He ultimately shrugged. <em>“Might as well… This is all just a dream anyway.” </em></p><p>Without thinking twice, on he went after the mysterious butterfly. As he descended the staircase, Ren realised it spiralled downwards around the spire and had no end in sight. He was unsure of how long he had been walking down the steps, but he didn’t think much of it as it was common knowledge that time perception was heavily altered while dreaming. Eventually he did reach the end of the stairway, where he was met by a gate leading outside the building. Without hesitation, Ren exited.</p><p>He blinked a few times to adjust his pupils to the exterior light, then he observed his surrounding and recognised his current location right away; it was the Scramble Crossing outside the Shibuya station. As a life-long Tokyoite, Ren had been at the famous intersection multiple times before, but never in any of his many visits had he seen the crossing in this state–completely devoid of people.</p><p>Having lost track of the blue butterfly, Ren opted for venturing deeper into the city and began walking towards Central Street. He strolled down the street, sighting numerous places he was well acquainted with–the bookstore, the beef bowl shop, the diner… all of them he had seen multiple times before, and yet they somehow felt oddly unfamiliar. The atmosphere was heavy with an uncanny feeling, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.</p><p>As he passed the diner, the unexpected sound of scraping metal and a soft mewling caught his attention, coming from the adjacent alley. Ren’s curiosity got the best of him, so he veered to the left into the side-street. It wasn’t hard to ascertain the source of the noise; it came from a trashcan in the alley. Ren looked at it with mirth; he figured a cat had probably trapped himself in while attempting to scavenge for fish leftovers or something of the sort. He approached the bin and took off the lid, only to encounter a creature that was most certainly not a cat.</p><p>From between the waste popped up a stubby humanoid with snow white complexion, and a roly-poly silhouette.</p><p>“Hee-ho!” called the peculiar being.</p><p>The boy took a step backwards in surprise, but he kept his eyes fixated on the creature; he squinted as its image evoked a distant memory in his mind. “Hey, I’ve seen you before…”</p><p>He had trouble placing it at first, but its wide smile and clownlike blue garments were unmistakable.</p><p>“You’re Jack Frost!” Ren said when he finally recognised the children’s mascot.</p><p>“Hee-ho?”</p><p>“Come here, little guy.”</p><p>He cautiously stretched out a hand to pet the little snowman. Jack Frost tilted its head to the side and analysed it with inquisitive eyes for a few seconds, before promptly sinking its teeth into it. Ren cried out in pain and staggered away from the trash can while gripping his injured hand. He looked down at his palm and saw there was a small amount of blood, as well as a very pronounced bite mark. He ran a finger through the open wound and instantly flinched.</p><p>As he mentally cursed Jack Frost for biting him, he came to a realisation–the blood dripping from his palm, the sting on his skin–it was genuine, unadulterated pain, the type that cannot be replicated in dream. The uncanny sensation that had been troubling him grew into a terror that slowly crept up his spine. There was something very, <em>very</em> wrong with this.</p><p>He hurriedly fled the alley, but stopped dead in his tracks upon facing the scene that had taken over Central Street. His previous scream had attracted the attention of other creatures lurking in the dark. Monstrous figures emerged from the side streets and storefronts. A sphere of featureless faces, an amorphous blob of black ooze, and a phallic kraken mounted on a chariot… The procession of eldritch fiends and beasts marched through Shibuya like a hellish parade.</p><p>Fearing for his life, Ren ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction, back to the station square. When he arrived, he was relieved to see the coast was clear. Once he was out of imminent danger, he collapsed with his back against the Buchiko statue.</p><p>“This isn’t real, I’m just dreaming. I have to wake up.” He said as he hit himself on the head. “Come on, wake up!”</p><p>“You are dreaming, but it does not make this any less real.” A voice cut in from behind him.</p><p>Ren jolted back upright and turned to face the uninvited interlocutor. Before him stood a large demon straight out of his worst nightmares. A red suit covered its long limbs that ended in pointed claws, imposing obsidian wings adorned its back, and a towering top hat made it seem much bigger than it already was.</p><p>The boy propped up his arm to avert his gaze, and prayed to every god he could think of anticipating his certain demise at the hands of the crimson devil, but instead, the demon simply burst into laughter. Confused, Ren dared to peek through his fingers and saw it having a hearty giggle at his expense. Despite being perhaps the most intimidating monster he had come across yet, it seemingly had no harmful intent towards him; only curious amusement.</p><p>“My my... you sure have strayed a long way from home” The creature said. “This is no place for a human.”</p><p>Manny questions popped into his head, like it was able to talk or what its intentions were, but he focused on the last part of its statement.</p><p>“What do you mean? Where am I? What is this place?”</p><p>“Why, Tokyo of course.”</p><p>“What? This is nothing like the Tokyo I know!”</p><p>“Clever one, aren’t you? That’s because it is not.” The demon said. “You find yourself in a place that exists between dream and reality. Mind and Matter. A mirror image of your world, born from the human collective unconscious. Both worlds are closely interlinked, and at the same they are also widely isolated.”</p><p>“How did I get here?”</p><p>“Believe me, no one wishes to know more than yours truly. Humans do not just casually wander into this cognitive plane everyday... No, you were brought here with a purpose. As for what that may be, remains to be seen.”</p><p>Ren couldn’t wrap his head around the situation; it just didn’t make any sense. “This can’t be happening… It’s just not possible.”</p><p>“Fret not, boy. I fully intend to help you find out what devices are behind your mysterious advent in this world.“</p><p>“Why are you helping me?” Ren asked.</p><p>“Because I’m bored. There’s not much to do around here; it was only natural a novel and eccentric character like you would pique my interest.”</p><p>Ren couldn’t help but laugh at that. It appeared as though his initial impression of the demon was off mark; he somehow felt an enigmatic kinship with it. “Just… what are you?”</p><p>“<em>’What’</em>? How awfully boorish. I have a name, for your information–many, in fact–Gentleman Thief, Pillager of Twilight, but you, my friend, may call me Arsène.” The demon introduced himself with flair befitting of his outfit. “You know, it is customary to return the gesture when one introduces themselves to you.”</p><p>“Sorry, my name is Ren, Ren Amamiya.”</p><p>“Amamiya… where have I heard that name before?” Arsène put a finger to his chin, as if in deep thought. “I’ve got it! It could be a clue to unravel this riddle. Follow me, my companion. Our venturesome quest awaits.”</p><p>Arsène marched towards the Ginza line without giving any further explanation nor looking back to ensure Ren followed. Although Ren didn’t feel in danger anymore, he was still not entirely free of apprehension.</p><p><em>“I’m definitely going to regret this…” </em>He thought before resigning to go after him.</p><p>Delving past the escalator to the underground, their arrival at the platform punctually coincided with that of a desolated train. Arsène ducked through the door to board the carriage and sat in the middle of the empty row of seats to accommodate his wingspan, wordlessly indicating Ren to do the same. The boy took a seat opposite to his new acquaintance, and the train departed Shibuya station.</p><p>Ren briefly wondered how the metro could be operating in this bizarre, human-less world, but as the train kept moving forward, a new thought pushed that question out his head. A weird familiarity hit him whilst riding the Ginza line, and his intuition told him there was only one possible destination.</p><p>“Why are you taking me there?”</p><p>“There is something you must to see.” Was the answer Arsène gave him.</p><p>After just a few minutes, their train stopped at Aoyama-Itchome station and the unlikely pair walked the short stretch to Shujin Academy. Ren walked with a dithering step; he feared what might await him at the school. Eventually they reached the gate, and at the top of the stairs leading into the main entrance he saw a standing man. Ren halted his step to do a double take of his outfit, which consisted of nothing but a heart-patterned cape, a pink speedo, and a tawdry crown. As he got closer he discerned the stranger was monologuing, in a voice well known him.</p><p>“… those insolent rats that are Amamiya and Mishima have been dealt with at last…”</p><p>Ren climbed the stairs to meet Kamoshida, sceptical of what his eyes were seeing.</p><p>“ and the Suzui situation has fixed itself as well. I was worried she might talk after waking up, but it looks like she’s not going to make it. This will make things much easier.”</p><p>“You bastard! How dare you say that after what you’ve done?”</p><p>Kamoshida did not react, and continued talking as if Ren wasn’t even there.</p><p>“It pains me to be so severe, but those Imbeciles needed to be taught a lesson. They don’t even realise it’s all their own fault! That stupid girl resisted to the very end, that’s why she jumped.” He said. “When will they learn their place? I’m a cut above all other humans–I am the king!–and I always get what I want.”</p><p>Hearing the absolute lack of remorse in his actions provoked a fury in Ren he didn’t know he had. He clenched his fists, and red was all he could see. He took a swing at the teacher, but his punch did not connect; instead, he phased through Kamoshida’s body, causing him to lose balance and fall. Behind him, the ghost of Kamoshida vanished into thin air. With his face still against the cold concrete, Ren slammed his fist against the ground, and his feeling of impotence turned to tears streaming down his face.</p><p>“What was that?” Ren asked as he stood back up after a while, still agitated.</p><p>“That was a Shadow, much like myself.” Arsène explained. “It is the embodiment of your teacher’s perception of himself. This realm is inhabited by beings created by the power of mankind’s cognition. ”</p><p>Ren rubbed his temple. The more he learned about this new world the less he understood it.</p><p>“Then how come I can’t touch it or talk to it like I do with you?” He asked.</p><p>“Human-born Shadows are different from those that originate from the sea of souls.”</p><p>“Human-born Shadows?”</p><p>“Most Shadows manifest from the grander collection of the collective unconscious; thoughts and ideas shared by every human. On the other hand, a few select Shadows arise from the deepest aspect of an individual’s psyche. A representation of their true personality, and their most profound desires on a subconscious level. Every human has one… or at least so I thought, until now.”</p><p>“Huh? What do you mean?”</p><p>“I am of course talking about you, Ren Amamiya… There is something different about you. You don’t seem to have a shadow. None that I can sense, at least…” He trailed off before finishing the thought under his breath. “Interesting… Could he be the one I have been looking for?”</p><p>He started circling Ren, almost as if examining a lab specimen.</p><p>“Tell me, what grievances may that garish king have with you? He did not speak your name fondly.”</p><p>“He took everything from me. He hurt the one’s I love and I couldn’t do anything about it.”</p><p>“I see… You have been trapped in an unjust game. The deck is stacked against you, and you’re chances of winning are none.” Arsène made a brief pause, and then a wicked smile flashed in his face. “However, your opponent did not account for the presence of a wildcard.”</p><p>Ren perked up and stared expectantly at the Gentleman Thief, feeling he was not done talking.</p><p>“I believe it is no mere coincidence that fate has brought us together, Ren Amamiya. I can feel it within you, the ardent spirit of rebellion longing be unchained.” Arsène finally came to a stop directly in front of Ren and stared firmly at him.</p><p>“Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself. Who is going to avenge your friends if you don't? Don’t you want to punish the evil that exploits the innocent?”</p><p>“More than anything.”</p><p>“Are you ready to tread the path of strife? Are you willing to commit all sacrilegious acts for the sake of your own justice?”</p><p>“I’ll do whatever it takes.”</p><p>“Very well, then. Let us form a contract. If you so desire, I shall lend you my power to break through this crisis.”</p><p>The Pillage of Twilight offered his hand. Ren drew a deep breath and took it.</p><p>The moment their hands touched, a piercing headache brought him to his knees, followed by a pressure in his face; surveying with his fingers he discerned the shape of a mask covering his eyes.</p><p>“I am thou, thou art I. Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!”</p><p>An unknown impulse compelled his hands to reach for the mask and pull. After some resistance the mask peeled off, and he felt warm blood trickle down his face. The pain intensified and propagated thorough his body; it was a surge of agony like he had never experienced before, but he endured. Along with the pain he felt something else–pure, invigorating power. In a flash, he found himself enwreathed by blue fire. The flames slowly climbed his frame, replacing his fear with resolve in its path.</p><p>The fire dissipated, and not only did Ren emerged unscathed, but reborn. He wore an outfit reminiscent of Arsène’s. His now gloved hands were holding a pair of weapons–a matching pistol and dagger. Their weight felt comfortable in his palms, like something that had been missing was now in its right place.   </p><p>Arsène laughed again sheer excitement. “That attire, those weapons, they comprise the armament worthy of a thief. Get back out there, young Rebel. Call upon my name to release your righteous rage and steal back your fate!”</p><p>Ren checked out his new equipment, and he smiled too. The helplessness he felt when he went to bed had been extinguished, and now, he was primed to fight back.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>“… Amamiya’s and Mishima’s actions have created a hostile environment in this school and therefore I request they be expelled as soon as possible…”</p><p>Kamoshida was sitting alone at his dimly lit desk in Shujin’s PE faculty office, well after dusk had settled and all students and staff had left for the day. With one hand he wrote in the petition he intended present during the next board meeting, in the other he held a half-empty bottle of shochu. He had been drinking more than usual lately. After the incident with Suzui, volleyball practice had been cancelled until further notice. Principal Kobayakawa ordered him to keep a low profile while the school was under scrutiny from the public eye; being put in a short leash frustrated him to no end, but it was fine–soon enough Amamiya would be gone and Takamaki would finally be his for the taking, he just needed a little patience. Speaking of which, Amamiya was conspicuously absent from class that morning… could he be up to something? No, he must have realised it was futile, in light of his imminent expulsion.</p><p>*Knock Knock*</p><p>The coach rotated in his chair to face the source of the noise. Who could it possibly be knocking on his door at this hour? Perhaps a janitor doing overtime.</p><p>
  <strong>*Knock Knock*</strong>
</p><p>“For fuck’s sake, I’m coming.”</p><p>Irritated, he got off his seat and went over to the door prepared to chew out whoever dared disturb him.</p><p>“What the fuck do you–”</p><p>The words died in his mouth when he laid eyes on what expected him on the other side of the door. A demonic figure with a macabre smile loomed in front of him. His feet failed him, and the apparition made its move. A mere swipe of its claws was enough to launch him flying against his desk. Panicking, Kamoshida grasped the bottle of liquor on the table and brandished it as a weapon against his assailant, who was edging closer to him. He made a move to counter attack, but as he raised his arm, the glass bottle exploded in his hand.</p><p>From the hallway slowly walked in another figure. Not as tall, but just as fearsome. Clad in black, yellow eyes behind a domino mask, they came in wielding a smoking gun. For a moment, they simply observed him with an expressionless face, before aiming the barrel of the pistol directly at him.</p><p>The teacher sank to his knees and clasped his hands together. “Don’t, please! Do you want money? Take anything you want, just please don’t hurt me!” He pleaded.</p><p>“You’re pathetic.” The dark entity said. “You act so tough going after defenceless children, but the moment you meet someone who can fight back you grovel like a worm.“</p><p>Kamoshida tried to bargain for leniency. “Just tell me what you want. I’m a man of influence; I’m sure we can reach an understanding–”</p><p>A backhanded slap interrupted him.</p><p>“No amount of riches or favours could bring penance to someone like you. I’ve seen the real you, Suguru, and you’re rotten to the core.”</p><p>“What are you talking about? Who are you?”</p><p>“I am your conscience, Suguru–and I’m here to show you the error of your ways…”</p><p>“Arsène.”</p><p>On command, the Persona hoisted Kamoshida and from the floor and pinned him against the wall.</p><p>“All these years you’ve been tormenting the students you were supposed to protect, taking advantage of the weak. Acting like a tyrannical king, you sold your soul to satiate your lust and greed, but now the devil is here to collect. Your reign has come to an end.”</p><p>“No, you don’t get it. It’s all their fault. The parents, the teachers–all those people forcing their expectations on me. I did it all for them. They all wanted to benefit from my success.”</p><p>“Oh, is that so? poor little coach. It’s so hard being you, isn’t it?” He said in a derisive tone. “Do you feel trapped? Like the pressure it’s getting too much? Wouldn’t it be easier to just end it all?”</p><p>As Kamoshida was about to reply, his throat tightened, and airflow stopped. Arsène had wrapped his hand around him and began constricting, patiently forcing the air out of his lungs without letting any back in. In a matter of seconds, he became lightheaded and his vision blurred.</p><p>“P-please, stop… Don’t do this…”. The teacher forced the words out.</p><p>“Did you listen to those kids when they told you to stop? Did you listen when they begged you not to hurt them?”</p><p>Kamoshida’s face was turning blue, and Ren knew that soon he would lose consciousness, and not long after, death would follow. As he watched the life gradually leave the teacher’s body, he did not feel as he anticipated. There was no fulfilment of catharsis; the only thing he felt was pity for the man imploring for mercy. A part of him was urging him to desist, but he suppressed the notion. He couldn’t stop now, he had to do this–how was it fair for scum like him to draw another breath when he had robbed that from Shiho?</p><p>
  <em>“Shiho…”</em>
</p><p>She deserved vengeance; he was doing this for her, or so he told himself, but what would she say if she saw him like this. She was always the type to turn the other cheek, to always do the right thing even in the most excruciating circumstances.  Ren realised he was failing Shiho once again, and felt sick to his stomach. He released Arsène’s grip on Kamoshida, who collapsed on the floor and had a coughing fit as he regained respiration.</p><p>“Your life is not mine to take, it’s not the justice your victims deserve.”</p><p>Ren grabbed Kamoshida’s mobile phone from the desk and handed it to the still struggling man.</p><p>“You are going to call the police and turn yourself in. You will confess every single one of your crime and spend the rest of your miserable life rotting in a cell.” Whilst offering him the phone, he maintained his gun pointed with his other hand; the implication was clear. “If you don’t, I will finish what I started.”</p><p>Kamoshida did not stop to consider the alternative. Desperate to save his own life, he dialled 110.</p><p>“Hello?... My name is Suguru Kamoshida. I’m currently at Shujin Academy, where I work as a P.E. teacher and volleyball coach... I have a confession to make. For many years I have been abusing countless students. I want to turn myself in.”</p><p>The two of them sat in silence until the screeching tires and flashing lights of patrol cars inundated the streets outside. Ren knew the police would enter the school via the main gate. He could climb the fence behind the practice building and escape undetected. He made his way to the exit, but stopped at the door of the room to take one last look at Kamoshida. The perpetrator of so much suffering, the untouchable overlord of Shujin had finally fallen from grace, and was nothing more than a pitiful, sobbing mess. Ren turned around and left, hoping he would never have to se Kamoshida’s face again.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>The following morning Ren overslept through his alarm, so he had to take the train after his usual one. He was definitely going to be late, but at least the trip wasn’t as crowded. He spent his commute contemplating last night’s events; he was still unsure whether it all had been a bad dream, until seeing the scene at Shujin Academy dispelled all doubts.</p><p>A combination of law enforcement, news reporters, and students lined the perimeter of the school. A group of teachers stood by the school gates attempting to hold back the media as they bombarded them with questions. In the meantime, Principal Kobayakawa talked with two police detectives.</p><p>From a distance he spotted Ann and Mishima, who were spectating the ruckus.</p><p>“Hi, Ren.” Ann said.</p><p>“Hey.” He returned the greeting. “What’s going on?”</p><p>Mishima was quick to fill him in. “Apparently, coach Kamoshida was arrested last night. They say he confessed to everything. The police then came this morning to get statements from teachers and students about the abuse. Miss Kawakami came out just a minute ago to say classes are probably going to be cancelled today.”</p><p>The three of them turned their eyes to a new commotion. The principal’s conversation with the officers was getting heated, and after some unintelligible shouting, he ended up with his hands in cuffs and escorted into a police car.</p><p>Ann and Mishima’s jaws dropped at the display.</p><p>“I can’t believe this is real.” Mishima said. “Just… how did this happen? Did Kamoshida suddenly grow a conscience? Someone must have made him do it.”</p><p>“I don’t really care how or why it happened; I’m just glad it’s finally over and no one else will get hurt anymore.” Ann said.</p><p>“Are you okay, Ann?” Ren asked.</p><p>“I am now.” She said, finally feeling free to smile again. “Well, now that we have a free day. I’m going to see Shiho at the hospital. Wanna come with?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>Thereon, life quickly settled back into routine. The new Shujin administration had rushed to sweep the Kamoshida scandal under the rug and classes returned to normalcy. It all had been reduced to an uncomfortable footnote in the school’s history. Ren and Ann kept paying periodic visits to Shiho at the hospital, but with no changes in her conditions, the hopes of her ever regaining consciousness dwindled every day.</p><p>The weeks passed by, and despite having accomplished his objective, Ren did not feel any semblance of satisfaction. On the contrary, his heart was heavy with a sentiment of desolation, emptiness that took over his daily life. He could not focus on his classes, he often lost appetite, and he had trouble sleeping.</p><p>It was well past midnight and Ren remained wide awake. He kept tossing and turning in bed trying to get some rest, but with no success. He laid on his side and stared blankly at the full moon through the window.</p><p>He did not want to admit it, but the truth was, Ren was aware of exactly what had been keeping him up at night all this time. Ever since Kamoshida’s arrest, Ann’s words had been carved into his memory, constantly replaying in his mind.</p><p>
  <em>‘I’m just glad it’s finally over…’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘No one will get hurt anymore…’</em>
</p><p>If only that were true. A battle might have been won, but the war was far from over. Kamoshida was gone and unable to keep abusing his students, but there were still scores of people living in peril all over Japan. And just like him, those people couldn’t rely on the police or heroes to save them. It was a hard pill to swallow, but some people were just dealt a bad hand by life, and they had no recourse do anything about it.</p><p>
  <em>‘Steal back your fate!‘</em>
</p><p>That’s what Arsène said to him during his awakening, when his flame rebellion had been ignited. He could still feel it burning. The inner unrest brought about an epiphany. This was the reason he had been given this power; to fight for those who couldn’t fight for themselves–all the kids out there that were destined to end up like Shiho–he was too late to save her, but it was his duty to prevent others from suffering the same fate.</p><p>The prospect was daunting, but he had never been more certain of anything in his life. He jumped out of bed, changed into jeans and a hoodie, grabbed his messenger bag and stuffed it with essential items–spare socks, mobile phone, charger, and all the cash in his piggy bank, which didn’t amount to more than 2000 yen.</p><p>Once he had everything packed, the reality of his decision dawned on him. He was planning to just pack up and leave. He doubted anyone at Kashiku would even notice his absence. The few members of the staff were all underpaid and overworked, and he was never close to any of the other children. He wouldn’t be the first, nor the last orphan who ran away trying to escape the system. He’d just be another number lost in a sea of statistics, soon to be forgotten by everyone. Everyone but one…</p><p>Ann.</p><p>She was the closest he had to family, and right now they needed each other more than ever. Just thinking of leaving hear broke his heart, but this was now bigger than himself. It would be selfish to prioritise their own happiness over that of thousands of other helpless innocents. Not to mention, if he was to commit to this new vocation he needed to sever all ties; not only was it extremely dangerous, but also highly illegal–the least Ann knew about it, the safer she would be. He spent a long time trying rationalise his decision to alleviate the pain of abandoning his only friend, but he couldn’t got back to turning a blind eye to the injustice of the world.</p><p>Without so much as a note, he took his few possessions, put his hood on, and climbed out the window to embark into a new mission, leaving his old self behind.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Alright, I’m off for the day. Miss Hirata, would you mind taking out the garbage on your way out?”</p><p>“Of course, sir; not a problem. Have a good evening!”</p><p>Yumi Hirata bid farewell to her boss with a cheery smile that morphed into an annoyed frown the very second he walked out the door. Happy that there was no one left in the office to hear her defeated sighs, she stood from her desk to collect the bags from the bins. What was advertised as an administrative position turned out to be little more than a glorified secretary. Shortly after starting at this new job, her boss jumped at the opportunity to pin every undesirable task around the office on her–organising the archives, getting lunch for everyone, and now apparently taking out the trash was her responsibility too. Notwithstanding the pressure of her supervisor, she obeyed without protest, wanting to make a good impression. No matter how awful work was, financial independence was preferable than going back home to her nagging mother.</p><p>With her purse in one hand and a bouquet of plastic bags in the other, Yumi locked the office door behind her and headed for the alleyway around the corner to toss the rubbish in the dumpster. Most of her walk was spent inwardly complaining about her jerk of a boss, and when she reached her destination, she took out her frustrations by forcefully tossing the waste into the container. She then leaned against its surface to resume the sulking.</p><p>At times like these she could really go for a smoke. She made a vow to quit after university, however, her naïve past-self had no idea just how hard the stress levels of corporate life would make it to keep that promise. Normally she would’ve chastised herself for her lack of will power, but she quickly shook that thought out of her head; she had been working so hard lately–the least she deserved was a whimsical cigarette to relax. She fetched a pack of Mevius Super Lights and an off-brand Zippo from her handbag, and proceeded to light one up.</p><p>“Excuse me, miss. Got a light?” Someone called from behind her. </p><p>She turned around to find a very tall, broad man. He was wearing a long, tan trench coat and matching flat cap; an unlit cigarette hung loosely from the edge of his lips.</p><p>As a fellow smoker, Yumi could relate to the struggle of misplacing one’s fire, so she did not hesitate to aid the man in need.</p><p>“Sure.” She replied while offering him her lighter.</p><p>The man accepted with a smile. He held the small flame with his right hand while protecting it from the wind with his left. He successfully lit his cigarette and took an elongated drag. He then took an appraising look at the lighter.</p><p>“This is a very nice lighter…” He said. “I think I’ll keep it.”</p><p>“I beg your pardon?” Yumi asked in confusion, thinking she misheard him, but the man did not answer. Suddenly, she felt something cold poke her ribs. </p><p>“Come to think of it, I’ll also take your bag... and your phone as well.”</p><p>Yumi looked down and realised the man’s trench coat was concealing an extra pair of arms, one of which was holding a gun against her.</p><p>Although she was panicking, the fear froze her in place. The mugger attempted to yank the handbag out of her elbow with his free forelimbs.</p><p>“There are better ways to get a girl’s phone number, you know?”</p><p>He shifted his look in every direction trying to find origin of the remark, but he perceived no presence besides his own and his victim’s.  </p><p>“Kudos for the enthusiasm, but the gun might be a bit of a turn-off for some.”</p><p>The heckler finally surfaced from the far end of the dark alley; he could have melded into the shadows were it not for the striking white mask on his face.</p><p>He pulled Yumi into a chokehold and aimed the gun at her temple. “Not another step! Move a muscle and I’ll fill her with lead.”</p><p>“Rest assured, I do not plan to lift a single finger.” Ren said raising his hands. “I’ll let my partner take care of it.”</p><p>“Partner?”</p><p>“Arsène!”</p><p>A burst of azure fire illuminated the alleyway, briefly blinding the four-armed man.</p><p>“Cleave!”</p><p>Arsène struck him, knocking away his weapon and separating him form Yumi, who scurried to hide in a corner.</p><p>Ren turned round to check on her. “Are you hurt?”</p><p>“Hey, Didn’t your mama teach you to mind your own business?” Whilst Ren was distracted, the thug had recovered from the hit. He cracked his two pairs of knuckles and assumed a fighting stance before taunting the masked vigilante. “Nice clown costume. Didn’t know the circus was in town.”</p><p>Ren mirrored the move and readied for battle. “Just for tonight, Big guy. The position of strongman is still open, by the way.”</p><p>“Consider this my audition then.”</p><p>With the combined power of his four arms, the man picked the dumpster over his head with ease. He hurled it as a projectile at Ren, but Arsène intercepted it, using his razor sharp talons to slice the metallic container mid-air. But their adversary didn’t even give them a chance to breathe when he immediately followed up with a frontal charge.</p><p>“Eiha!”</p><p>The demonic thief shot out a bolt of dark energy, which the incoming attacker dodged with a swift side-step. In the blink of an eye, he was within melee range. Arsène wasted no time to counterattack, but the extra limbs gave the man the ability to block and strike simultaneously. His form suggested he had boxing experience, and his speed and agility were disproportional for a brute of such size. Ren realised he made a fatal mistake by not finishing him off while he still had the element of surprise on his side.</p><p>After a close scuffle, the criminal landed a devastating punch on Arsène that sent him crashing into Ren. The persona and its user collapsed against a wall, causing the former to vanish. The man clutched and lifted Ren by the neck with his upper arms while using his lower arms to rain a series of blows to the boy’s abdomen.</p><p>Ren tried his hardest to free himself, but to no avail. Desperation took a hold of him; his judgment clouded by the incessant pain increasing with each hit. He had to do something or this would be his end. Instinctively, he tilted his head back and swung it with all his strength to ram his forehead directly against his attacker’s nose. The unforeseen headbutt made his opponent stagger backwards. Before he could recuperate, Ren pressed on the advantage and delivered a kick to his knee, an elbow to his jaw, and with momentum he spun on his axis and summoned his own pistol in a single motion to shoot a round dead centre in the man’s chest.</p><p>The thug dropped limp to the ground. An exhale charged with relief escaped Ren’s lips and he too sat in the ground to catch his breath. Yumi had been witnessing the duel petrified from the corner, but the loud discharge of the firearm snapped her out of it.</p><p>“I-is he… is he dead?” She asked.</p><p>“He’s just unconscious, it wasn’t set to kill.”</p><p>She relaxed when she saw the chest of the man slowly rise and lower, indicating he was still breathing. Ren’s firearm disappeared in a blue flash, he crouched next to the unconscious ruffian and started patting his body.</p><p>Yumi blinked perplexed. “What are you doing?”</p><p>“Looking for something… and jackpot!” Ren exclaimed while victoriously holding the criminal’s wallet.</p><p>Yumi stared at him in utter disbelief.</p><p>Ren shrugged. “My apologies, madame. I know this behaviour is unbecoming, but I haven’t eaten anything in three days. Besides, he won’t be needing the cash in prison.”</p><p>“Um, I’m incredibly grateful for saving me, but… are you a new Hero? I don’t recognise you.”</p><p>“Not quite… that is why I need your help.” He replied. “Sleeping Beauty over here won’t be waking up for a couple of hours at least. In the meantime, I need you to call the police and wait for them to come and arrest him. When they arrive, give them this.”</p><p>He handed her a piece of paper resembling a business card. It was blood red in colour and had a hand-drawn emblem on one side–a cartoonish face with a jagged smile and a top hat. Yumi stifled the urge to laugh at the rather puerile design, thinking she might bruise his pride.</p><p>She smile and looked up to ask for his saviour’s name, but he was nowhere in sight. Just as quick as he came, her mysterious, nameless hero disappeared into the night.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Ren stumbled through the window into the unoccupied office building he had made his temporary dwelling for the last few nights; he was carrying a takeaway bag with the Big Bang Burger logo on the side.</p><p>On his way in he noticed that the ‘For Rent’ sign had been taken off the property, which meant new tenants would move in any day now. He needed to find a new shelter soon, but he was way too exhausted to worry about that right now. For tonight, he was going to try and get some rest.</p><p>His thief outfit dematerialised and was replaced by his casual clothes. He moved towards the lounge area he had converted into a makeshift bedroom and plopped down on the sofa. Once finally safe, he lifted his shirt to assess the damage from tonight’s fight, revealing a large area in his torso covered in bruises. He grimaced, but couldn’t resist the temptation to touch it.</p><p>
  <em>“Ouch…that’s gonna hurt in the morning.” </em>
</p><p>He laid down and started feasting on the warm junk food, which after his extended period of fasting tasted like a gourmet meal. It took great effort, but he exerted constrain on himself to not wolf down his dinner in seconds. To distract himself as he ate, he pulled out a sketchpad and a mechanical pencil from his bag, and started scribbling.</p><p>“What are you doing?” Arsène asked from the back of his mind.</p><p>“Trying to come up with a new logo. The current one doesn’t quite convey the image I’m going for.”</p><p>Through Ren’s eyes, Arsène observed the various drafts and concepts for a logo in the notebook.</p><p>“Is that supposed to look like me?”</p><p>“Hey, I’m not a professional artist. Cut me some slack.”</p><p>“You know I am a devout of theatricality, but aren’t there other things more deserving of your attention than a new logo?”</p><p>He didn’t have to answer, for Arsène’s thoughts were also his own. He had underestimated his opponent, and it almost cost him his life.  Ren realised that carrying out his vision of justice would require more than determination; he could not do it in his current state. That night before sleeping he pledged to train and get stronger.</p><p>And so, for the next two years that’s what became of Ren’s life. Training by day, patrolling the streets by night. Looting criminals to scrape by; surviving on convenience store bento and fast food. Squatting in vacant apartments, abandoned warehouses, and even crashing in a bench in the park if it came down to it. Although sometimes after scoring a particularly plentiful bounty, he would treat himself to a bed in a manga café.  </p><p>Every waking moment he devoted to bettering himself however he could–endurance exercise, practicing martial arts, and even keeping himself informed with books from the public library–but his training did not end when he slept. After his initial encounter with the cognitive world, he continued seeing the place in his dreams, where he tested his combat skills against Shadows and recruited new Personas to join his compendium.</p><p>It didn’t take long for the news of a clandestine crime-fighter to spread. The media became particularly fond of the tales recounting the elusive vigilante’s exploits, and before long, the name they had given him was in the mouths of people all over the country. And thus, the legend of Joker was born.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">U.A , Present day</span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Everyone’s eyes were focused on the small cardstock rectangle in the narrator’s hands. It was the last version of his calling card–this one was charcoal black with a deep red illustration of a blazing domino mask and a new and improved stylish top hat. Ren fiddled with the card while staring at it with a bittersweet smile.</p><p>“…it was supposed to be another routine yakuza bust; nothing I had never done before, but it turned out the law was on my trail and I got arrested. I spent two weeks in a holding cell until principal Nezu and Mr. Aizawa came to offer me the opportunity to serve my probation while attending U.A. High School and… well, as they say–the rest is history.”</p><p>The students of class 1-A found themselves tongue-tied. They were all hesitant to break the silence, struggling to find the right thing to say to such a heavy story, and Ren couldn’t blame them. He had just shared his deeply personal past, and on top of that, he admitted that all of his previous powers were nothing but merely a by-product of his actual Quirk–a connection to another dimension. He wouldn’t be surprised if they took him for crazy.</p><p>The first one to take initiative was Ojiro. The tailed boy walked up to Ren, and without saying a word, he bowed before him.</p><p>“Ojiro?”</p><p>“I must apologise, Amamiya. I misjudged you as a criminal, but I was wrong. Your drive to help others, the sacrifices you’ve made… There’s nothing more honourable than that. Please forgive me.”</p><p>After the floodgates opened, the rest of his classmates followed suit. Ren was mobbed by expressions of sympathy for him, regret for his previous mistreatment, and questions about the mystifying source of his power.</p><p>“Guys, it’s fine. There is nothing to be sorry about. There are many things I wish I could’ve done differently, but I’ve come to learn that there is no point in trying to outrun your past. And more importantly, I am a now here to do things right.”</p><p>The next one to speak was Ida, who had been silent throughout all of Ren’s story, but seemed to be one of the most affected. The conflicted look in his face was transparent.</p><p>“The police and Heroes turning their backs on someone in need… I just cannot believe it.”</p><p>“I believe it.” Todoroki interjected. “That sounds like my old man alright.”</p><p>Ren’s self-proclaimed rival lowered his head. The revelation of Joker’s backstory lifted a veil in the way he had come to see him. There was much he wished to say, but it was hard to put into words.</p><p>“Listen, Amamiya. I–”</p><p>The voice of Midnight interrupted from the school’s PA system. “All students report to the field! The drawing for the final tournament bracket will begin shortly.”</p><p>The students made their way back to the Sports Festival grounds. Before Todoroki left, Ren tapped his shoulder to get his attention.</p><p>“There is also something I need to say to you, Todoroki. We’ll talk later, okay?”</p><p>He nodded silently and exited the waiting room.</p><p>Ren collected himself and prepared to get back out here. He might have mended things with his class, but he still had to prove himself to the world. His fight was not yet over.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For reference, the dream world was inspired by this unused concept art for P5:<br/>https://i.imgur.com/Cn3aRoz.png</p><p>Here's a quick summary of the timeline to make it easier to visualise:<br/>- 10 years ago: Ren's Quirk first manifests in the form of the Third Eye. (Age 6)<br/>- 4 years ago: Ren starts first year of middle school at Shujin Academy in Tokyo. (Age 12)<br/>- 2.5 years ago: During the autumn of his second year of middle school, the events with Kamoshida take place. Ren awakens the power of Persona and runs away from home to become Joker. (Age 14)<br/>- 2 months ago: Ren is arrested for vigilantism and enrols at U.A. to serve his probation. (Age 16)</p><p>Ren spent a bit over 2 years living as joker. He should actually be in Second year of high school, but he was too busy fighting crime to go to school, so he is actually between half and one year older than the rest of class 1-A. </p><p>Ren's secrets are revealed, and most of his classmates have accepted him, though there are still some things to be said!<br/>With Joker's backstory done, we go back onto the Sports Festival arc to finally move the story forward. Til next time!</p><p>PS: I went back and did a small retcon on chapter 1. Originally, I wrote that Ren conferred with Nezu and Eraserhead the same day he got arrested, but I've realised that it makes much more sense for him to spend some time in a holding cell. I went back and edited that part. It's nothing major; it doesn't really affect the story, i just thought this was better.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ren had opted for sitting out the recreational games in order to mentally prepare for the last stage the Sports Festival, but with the moment of truth upon him, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a at least bit nervous.</p><p>“This tournament is shaping up to be a riveting rollercoaster.” Present Mic’s commentary echoed through the stadium. “We had a very close first match, and a not-so-close second match; let’s see what this third match holds in store for us.”</p><p>Lots had been drawn to determine the pairings for the first round of the tournament:</p><p> </p><p>Izuku Midoriya vs. Hitoshi Shinso</p><p>Shoto Todoroki vs. Hanta Sero</p><p>Ren Amamiya vs. Mina Ashido</p><p>Tenya Ida vs. Mei Hatsume</p><p>Haru Okumura vs. Denki Kaminari</p><p>Fumikage Tokoyami vs. Momo Yaoyorozu</p><p>Katsuki Bakugo vs. Ochaco Uraraka</p><p>Eijiro Kirishima vs. Kyoka Jiro</p><p> </p><p>Izuku had just narrowly won his fight against Shinso, while Todoroki easily defeated Sero in a matter of seconds; it was now Ren’s turn, and expectations were high. He felt the weight of the viewership on his shoulders as he climbed up to the concrete platform to begin his final trial. He was confident in his ability for combat, but this would be his first time fighting with so many eyes on him.</p><p>Ren wiped the sweat off his brow as he experienced a slight sensory overload. The beaming stadium lights, the heat of the midday sun, the thunderous roaring of the audience; it was hard to focus on the situation at hand. It also didn’t help that his mind still lingered on the events that transpired earlier in the waiting room. Opening up to his classmates lifted a heavy load off his chest, but it also brought up many unpleasant memories he had tried his hardest to forget. Even so, he reassured himself he did it for a reason–he was done running and hiding.</p><p>It was indubitably daunting, but also exhilarating in equal measure. Ever since meeting Arsène he had developed a penchant for showmanship, and after all, what was he here for if not showing-off?</p><p>“In this corner. Sliding onto the ring, It’s the horned queen of the hero course–Mina Ashido! On the opposite corner, he dominated the cavalry battle and he’s hungry for more–it’s the swiss army man, the jack of all trades–Ren Amamiya, also from the hero course!”</p><p>The two contestants came to stand face-to-face.</p><p>“Nice to see you, Amamiya. Too bad I’ll have to take you down in the first round.” She said with a taunting smile. “I’m not going easy on you just because we’re friends.”</p><p>He returned the smile, accepting the challenge. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”</p><p>The referee gave the signal to start the match, and without skipping a beat, Mina dashed forward to deliver a roundhouse kick Ren only barely managed to dodge. She immediately followed up with another he was forced to block with his forearm. He saw she wasn’t lying when she said she wouldn’t pull any punches.</p><p>“Nice moves.” He said.</p><p>“I’m just warming up.”</p><p>They continued trading blows; engaged in an aggressive back-and-forth that to the outsider eye might have resembled a dance battle.</p><p>Ren was starting to get dizzy. The gliding in Ashido’s feet allowed her to say constantly in motion; orbiting around him and hindering his accuracy. She detected the vacillation in her opponent and saw an opening; with a wave of her arm, she splashed acid all over his clothes. Holes and tears materialised where the corrosive substance made contact with the fabric, leaving Ren’s gym uniform top looking like an old rag.</p><p>“Hey! That’s my only shirt!” Ren said indignant. “So you wanna fight dirty, huh? Well, two can play at that game.”</p><p>With one tug, he tore off what was left of his shirt and tossed aside before cracking his knuckles. “Slime!”</p><p>Ren invoked the name of the amorphous ooze monster. Its grotesque appearance and guttural growls were met with a repulsed reaction from the audience, then, the creature started moving in Ashido’s direction.</p><p>She grimaced. “Ew, gross!”</p><p>Distracted by disgust, she instinctively flung a handful of acid at the Persona. However, it was unfazed by the attack and did not cease the advance towards her; Mina kept bombarding it with acid to fend it off, but her efforts were futile. It was only after her skin started irritating from overusing her Quirk that she noticed–the slime monster had grown considerably in size. It had absorbed the acid in each one of her attacks and consolidated it into itself. Before she knew it, the Slime had closed the distance between them, and in one single bite, she disappeared into its mouth.</p><p>The spectators erupted in a collective gasp.</p><p>“Did that thing just eat her?!”</p><p>“I-Is she dead?”</p><p>“That has to be against the rules.”</p><p>Slime slithered across the battlefield, leaving a viscous trail in its path; once it reached the edge, it made a retching motion and proceeded to spit outside the ring a ball of mucus containing the pink girl. </p><p>“Ashido has stepped out of bounds, Amamiya advances to the second round!” Midnight called from the sidelines.</p><p>“Yuck! I’m covered in goo!”</p><p>“Not very pleasant, is it?”</p><p>Still topless, Ren went over help her up.</p><p>“My uniform got all dirty!”</p><p>“At least you can put yours in the washer.”</p><p>For a moment, they shared a stare loaded with tension… before bursting into laughter, which they carried on all the way to the changing room.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>The fortunate finding of a pile of spare uniforms in the changing room saved Ren from having to go the rest of the tournament shirtless. He figured that with the destructive nature of some Quirks, it was not all that uncommon for U.A. students to require an unforeseen change of uniform. With a fresh, untorn shirt, he returned to the stands with the rest of class 1-A.</p><p>“There you are, Ren. That was an amazing fight.” Izuku greeted him. “Where is Ashido, by the way?”</p><p>“She had to take a shower after that…” He replied as he took a sit next to him. “And thanks; yours was quite thrilling too. How did you manage to break out of Shinso’s brainwash?”</p><p>“Oh, well… I’m not really sure. I guess it must have been the adrenaline or something.” Izuku awkwardly tried to laugh the question off.</p><p>Ren wasn’t entirely convinced by the non-committal answer. It was evident that Izuku’s Quirk was rather peculiar, and the boy got slightly on edge whenever someone inquired about it. The way he broke a bone every time he tried to use it; it was like his power and his body were simply incompatible. Ren began to wonder–could there be more to his friend’s Quirk than met the eye? Something that made him resistant to the brainwashing… something like his own Personas.</p><p>He knew asking directly would only net him more evasive answers, so he decided to drop the subject for now. “Anyway, what did I miss?”</p><p>“Ida fought against Hatsume, from the support course. It was a very, uh… <em>interesting</em> match; Ida won in the end. Kaminari is up next.” </p><p>“Here she comes; the only student from the Business course to make it into the final stage of the festival–it’s Haru Okumura! Today she will be facing the boy with the electric personality–the Hero course’s very own Denki Kaminari!” The announcer presented the contestants.</p><p>“That’s your friend, isn’t she?” Izuku asked. “She did very well in the Cavalry Battle. Do you think she can beat Kaminari?”</p><p>Ren stopped to consider the question, for the answer was not as clear as would’ve liked. Haru’s brilliance was beyond question; her inventions had given them the upper hand in the Cavalry Battle, but she was inexperienced in the ways of combat, and her Quirk didn’t have much potential for offence. By contrast, Kaminari’s Quirk was nothing to scoff at; what the boy lacked in smarts he made up in raw power. And in a one-on-one duel he could use his Indiscriminate Shock without holding back. An unprepared opponent wouldn’t stand a chance against him, nevertheless, Kaminari always did have a particular weakness…</p><p>“Hello there, pretty lady. The name’s Kaminari, Denki Kaminari. Pleasure to meet you.” He said with a wink, attempting to emulate someone more charming than himself.  </p><p>“Hi~” Haru said. “You’re a Hero student, aren’t you? I bet you must be <em>very</em> strong.”</p><p>“Well, I don’t want to brag or anything, but I basically defeated an entire army of villains at the USJ.”</p><p>“Wow, you are <em>so</em> cool! I could never fight a Hero like you. I’m just a girl with a few support items…” She said with a pout, batting her eyelashes at him.</p><p>“You’re here to show off your little gadgets like that other girl, right? Don’t’ worry. How about I help you out with that and you let me take you out on a date as thanks?”</p><p>“Would you really?”</p><p>“Anything for you.”</p><p>“Oh my god, thank you so much!” She clapped enthusiastically. “In that case, here. Take these.”</p><p>Haru pulled out one of her inventions. She handed him a pair of metal rods, and he took one in each hand. A cable connected them to a small box.</p><p>“That looks pretty neat, what is it?”</p><p>“This little thing? Oh, it’s just a prototype for an electrochemical battery cell.”</p><p>“Hmm, that sounds smart. I prefer brains over beauty in a girl, you know? I’m the sensitive type. Not that you aren’t beautiful! I was just saying–hey, what’s that button for?”</p><p>The sweet smile in Haru’s face twisted a little bit. She ignored the question and pressed the button on the gadget. An initial shock travelled through the cables and jumpstarted Kaminari’s Electrification. Lightning engulfed him and his body tensed; a reverse redox reaction occurring within the cell commenced draining the electricity off his body. Unable to move, he remained static, charging the battery until his Quirk gave out. The lightning dispersed, and a short-circuited Kaminari was left on the ground.</p><p>“By the way, I’m afraid I’ll have to decline your invitation.” Haru said coldly; no pep left in her voice whatsoever. She retrieved her invention and kneeled to speak into Kaminari’s ear. “Never forget–I’m not here to show off. I’m here to win.”</p><p>She started walking away without even waiting for the referee.</p><p>“Kaminari is out of action. The winner of this match is Okumura!”</p><p>Back at the stands, Izuku was nonplussed. “Whoa… she’s kinda scary.”</p><p>Ren only nodded in agreement. “Yeah, she really is…”</p><p>He realised underestimating Haru Okumura is a fatal mistake. </p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Our next challenger comes from the Hero course, and she’s here to rock your socks off–it’s Kyoka Jiro! Against her we have another Hero in the making. He’s a manly man and his skin is as hard as his head; It’s Tetsutetsu Tets–Oops–I mean, it’s Eijiro Kirishima!“</p><p>“I’m sorry, Jiro. Hurting a girl goes against the code of chivalry, but I have to win this.” Kirishima said.</p><p>“Get over yourself and punch me, you wuss!” Jiro replied.</p><p>“I’m not gonna hit you.”</p><p>He approached Jiro pulled her into a bear hug and started carrying her towards the outside of the arena.</p><p>“What are you doing?! Put me down!”</p><p>“Trust me, I don’t like this any more than you.”</p><p>She struggled in Kirishima’s grasp, but it was impossible to escape from it. With her arms bound, she used her Earphone Jacks to stab her opponent’s ears and send the frequency of her heartbeat directly into his eardrums. The attack made him let go of Jiro, who took the opportunity to counterattack. A sweep of her leg knocked him off his feet; she aimed to finish him up with a jab to the face, but Kirishima managed to activate Hardening just at the last second. Her fist connected with the rock-hard skin and she failed to hold back a painful yowl; the tables turned again. Wanting to avoid hitting her, Kirishima lifted Jiro with a fireman carry, and this time he succeeded in bringing her over the edge of the ring.</p><p>“Jiro is out. Kirishima moves on to the next round!”</p><p>“Jiro got really unlucky.” Ren said, observing the fight from the stands. “She had a good strategy, but It was an unfavourable matchup.”</p><p>“This sucks. I was hoping at least one girl from our class would make it to the next round. Ochaco came close but Bakugo was ruthless.” Toru commented.</p><p>“Speaking of, they’ve been gone for a while and Izuku’s match is next. I’ll go check on them.”</p><p>Ren excused himself and slipped back to the waiting room. He announced his arrival with a swift knock on the door as he walked in.</p><p>“I figured I’d find you here.” He said to greet Izuku and Uraraka, the only ones currently present in the room.</p><p>“I was actually about to leave. They just called my name for the next round.” Izuku said.</p><p>“Good luck, Deku. I’ll be rooting for you!”</p><p>Izuku thanked them before taking his leave, and then Ren took the seat next to Uraraka.</p><p>“I saw your fight against Bakugo; you did really well. By the way you moved and dodged through the explosions I can tell you’ve been training hard. If you could’ve gotten just a bit closer he would’ve been toast.”</p><p>“Thanks. I still have a long way to go, though. But I’ll keep training even more. You’ll see; next year I’ll totally make it to the finals, I’ll even beat you!”</p><p>Ren chuckled. “It’d be an honour to face you then.”</p><p>They fell back into a comfortable silence. Although he didn’t really spend that much time with Uraraka, her unassuming kindness always made him feel at ease with her. They enjoyed the stillness for a couple of minutes.</p><p>“Amamiya, can I ask you something?” Uraraka broke the silence.</p><p>“Sure” He said. “And please, call me Ren.”</p><p>“Right, Ren…” She hesitated for a moment before asking. “Do you still blame yourself for what happened before you became Joker?”</p><p>He was taken aback by the question. He didn’t know exactly how to put his feelings into words; it took him so long to answer that Uraraka was starting to fear she may have offended him, but Ren finally sighed and answered honestly. “I don’t know. I thought I didn’t anymore, but I guess a part of me could never really let go.”</p><p>Ochaco gave room for Ren to continue, but he had nothing else to say. On the other hand, she looked like she wanted to say something, but she needed to collect her thoughts first.</p><p>“My parents’ business isn’t doing so well.” She said. “They have a construction company; I wanted to help them using my Quirk, but they said a child like me shouldn’t have to worry about such things. I always felt so useless… That’s why I came to U.A.; to become a pro Hero and make a lot of money so that my parents could have an easier life. But my short time here has really changed my outlook on things. I’ve learned so much, especially form Deku–he inspired me to fight for myself and to keep looking ahead. That’s why I won’t let this defeat stop me; I will become a Hero to help my parents and everyone I can!”</p><p>By the end of her speech she realised she was now standing and pumping her fists with determination; she blushed with a hint of embarrassment.</p><p>“Sorry, I don’t even know if I’m making any sense. I just… I know that my problems can never compare to what you’ve been through, but I still want to remind you that you don’t have to carry this burden alone anymore. Your friends are here for you, Ren.”</p><p>Ren was moved by her words. Unsure of how to respond, he simply said</p><p>“Thank you.” and hoped that was enough to convey just how much his friends’ support meant to him. </p><p>Uraraka smiled broadly, letting him know she received the message. “Come on. Let’s go cheer for Deku.”</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter is on the shorter side now that things are starting to move quicker in the story.</p><p>Here's a masterfully drawn picture of the bracket after round 1: https://imgur.com/a/lh8bK2v</p><p>Look forward to round 2 in the next chapter. Til next time!</p><p>PS: I can't believe this fic is already over 300 kudos! I want to thank everyone who's taken the time to leave kudos or write a comment or just to read and enjoy this story. It really means a lot to me; Thank you all.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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